A Developing Situation
by Ichiban Victory
Summary: An odd mercenary job is just the start of Lina's troubles, as she and Amelia soon find themselves in a tough situation and no idea what to do about it.
1. 1 Something Begins

**Warning: What you are about to read is not your typical story. The author has committed a most sick crime that is in no way redeemable for what she's intending to drag the characters through as the story progresses. Know that the author may be crazy in the head, as she went through copious amounts of research in order to write this story.**

_...okay, enough of that. Seriously though, this sprang from a random thought I had well over a year ago. I made the mistake of sharing that thought with some friends, who in turn encouraged me to write it out. I actually wrote up most of this story a year ago, so I have a lot done already. However, as of yet I do not have the end. I think I know where it's going... I'm hoping that if I start posting it here, it'll get me back in gear for writing so I can finish this story. _

_Also, rhyming is contagious. Never write it into your story, or you shall be doomed to rhyme!_

_-Ichiban Victory_

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Chapter 1: Something Begins

"Stop her! Stop her!" Lina charged forward, Gourry, Amelia and Zelgadis all close behind. All were intent on catching their prey. Tonight's meal depended on it!

Gourry was running alongside Lina, huffing and puffing the whole time. "Are you sure this is a good idea, Lina? Chasing old ladies just doesn't seem *huff* right!"

"For the greater good, we must!" Amelia piped up from behind, completely devoted to the task at hand.

Lina smirked as she continued to pursue the old woman. "She sure moves fast for an old crone, I'll give her that. Give it up, lady, and we'll go easy on you!" Lina got her second wind and dashed closer to the retreating woman.

The fleeing woman, truly an old woman if her shock of white hair was any indication, looked back at the group and cackled to herself. "If you were wise you'd leave me be! Since you won't I continue to flee!"

"Great," Lina groaned, "she speaks in rhyme. Hey! Just give up already, would you? We have better things to do!"

"Careful, Lina, now you're starting to, too." Gourry looked over at Lina, giving her an amused look.

Lina was about to retaliate, but the old woman suddenly stopped and turned back to face the group. Lina halted in her tracks, causing everyone to crash into her.

The old woman looked down at the pile of people with a large grin. "Such lovely little lovelies do we have here, but alas! What's this? It's not all as they appear." She squinted down at the group, a very serious look suddenly on her face. She watched as they started to get to their feet. She leaned forward with an even keener look on her face as she noticed a young woman helping up an odd man, along with a taller fellow helping up the loudmouth. She gave a big grin then.

"Two to one, one to two, what's most dear I give to you. Ha!"

The group looked up at the old woman, who seemed to be raving about something. Lina just shook her head at the old lady waving her arms about. "Crazy old lady." She then stepped in front of the old woman. "Are you going to come quietly now, or what?"

The old woman just smiled back at Lina. "Go with you, stay with me, all I'll say is it doesn't matter to me."

"What's with all the rhyming?" Gourry pondered.

Amelia and Zelgadis stood back looking very confused. "Are you sure we got the right woman, Miss Lina?" Amelia shot a worried look at Lina, suddenly not finding the old woman to be the threat they had been warned about.

Zelgadis nodded in agreement. "She seems more senile than sinister."

Lina rolled her eyes as she used a piece of rope to bind the old woman's wrists. "Look, I'm not the one who wrote out the wanted poster, okay? She fits the description. We'll take her back and let the local authorities decide whether she's the right person or not. Now come on," Lina gently tapped the old woman to get her to walk.

Amelia and Zelgadis gave each other a look and a shrug, then followed after the others.

* * *

"One old hag, captured!" Lina bellowed out when they reached the local authorities. Two standing guards looked at the group in curiosity, but then shrank back when they saw the old woman.

"Looks like we got the right lady after all, Lina." Gourry whispered down to his companion.

Lina grinned back up at him. "Did you doubt me?" She then led the woman closer to the guards. "So where do you want her?" Lina asked, seeing how the guards continued to shrink back.

The two guards just looked at each other, silently goading the other to take action. Finally the elder of the two found his courage and stood tall again. "We, we'll be taking her into custody. She's caused us a lot of trouble, that one." He cringed when the old woman's gaze turned on him.

"Is she really that scary? She's not even doing anything." Amelia leaned in to whisper to Zelgadis and Gourry. The two could only shrug in response, as confused by the guard's actions as she was.

"Lead her this way," the elder guard continued, leading Lina and the old woman into the building he had been guarding. The other guard stared back at the remainder of the group stupidly, not sure how to react to the situation.

Five minutes of awkward silence later, Lina reemerged, a small sack of coins in hand. "My pleasure, my pleasure!" she called back through the doorway. She then gave a wink to the remaining guard before rejoining the others. "I'm not sure what the deal with the old lady was, but the reward was too good to pass up. Who's hungry?"

Gourry, Amelia and Zelgadis all gave an enthusiastic cheer in response, following after Lina as they sought out a decent meal with the day's earnings.

* * *

The evening found Lina and Amelia getting ready for bed. Lina stretched her arms as she yawned. "What a day! Glad it's over. We can move on to bigger and better things tomorrow."

Amelia didn't respond. She was seated on her bed fidgeting her fingers as she glanced to the window. Night was quickly approaching, taking with it the last rays of daylight. "Are you sure what we did was right, Miss Lina?" Amelia asked, not taking her gaze from the window.

Lina sighed. "Look, just because she's old doesn't mean she's not a threat! She obviously did something wrong to upset the local populous here. I thought you would be happy. We did right wrongs and fight for justice, didn't we?" Lina plopped down on her bed, more than ready to succumb to sleep.

"That's true," Amelia paused. She looked over to Lina. "I just have this feeling..."

Lina perked up. "What? A feeling? What kind?" She looked concerned all of a sudden. "Is this that 'justice sense' going off again, or something else?"

"Miss Lina," Amelia sighed, "show _some_ respect." She played with her fingers a moment longer. "I'm not even sure quite how to describe it. Something just feels off somehow. Did you ever find out just what that old woman did?"

Lina tapped her chin, then plopped her head down on her pillow. "The guards didn't really want to talk about it. All they did say was that she caused a lot of havoc. Or was it drama..?" Lina stared up at the ceiling for a moment. "Eh, in any case, we got the right person, we got our reward, which in turn got us a great meal and these rooms for the night. Can we get some sleep now?" She rolled over to look at Amelia.

"Of course, Miss Lina. Just forget I said anything." Amelia was going to say more, but she turned to see Lina had already dozed off on her bed. Amelia shook her head but smiled. "Good night, Miss Lina."

_To be continued..._

Next time: "This can't be happening again," Lina said, disbelief heavy in her voice. "It can't be! Quick, Amelia, try something basic!"

_Author's note: Uninspired chapter names are actually taken directly from blog posts when I initially posted up the rough story. I got rather attached to my 'Something..._' titles, so I've decided to preserve them as much as possible._


	2. Something is Amiss

Chapter 2: Something is Amiss

Three days later found the group out on the open road again. Lina and Gourry were having an animated discussion on the exquisite breakfast they had had earlier that morning, vowing to eat at that restaurant on a return trip. Amelia and Zelgadis were farther back on the road, both taking in the nice weather and pleasant company. All might have continued on as it was, but in the blink of an eye the group was surrounded by bandits!

Just as the leader stepped forward to threaten the group, Lina cracked her knuckles and got an evil grin. "Excellent, this will save us having to do more mercenary work. Fire Ball!"

Everyone looked at Lina, the bandits in curiosity, but her companions in shock!

"Wha..what? Nothing happened? Well then, how about Burst Rondo!" Lina had again held out her hands making the proper gestures, but nothing happened. The only sound to be heard was the wind blowing through the trees.

After the initial shock wore off, the bandit leader came to his senses. "I don't know what you're trying to prove, but hand over yer valuables if you want to leave here alive!"

"Fools!" A voice boomed from nearby. Lina, Gourry and Zelgadis didn't even look, but the bandits all turned to look up a nearby tree which Amelia was suddenly perched in. "You who would dare attack peaceful travelers, all for ill-gotten gain? Surrender your evil ways now, or prepare to face my wrath!" Amelia launched herself from the tree then, a spell on her lips. Even though she didn't think the bandits would actually surrender, she was always willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.

"Forget this," the bandit leader spat, "get them! We'll plunder their corpses!"

Amelia hit the ground running, the others quickly following after her. "Mercy may have saved you, but through your own arrogance you have sealed your fate. Prepare to be defeated by my justice! Visfarank!" Amelia continued to charge forward and planted a fist right in a bandit's gut. She was expecting him to be sent reeling. Instead her fist thumped painfully against his armor. Only then did she notice that her spell had not gone off.

The bandit laughed at the attempted attack, quickly lunging out at the smaller girl with his own fist. Amelia quickly jumped away, but before the bandit could follow where she'd gone off to, Zelgadis was suddenly right there, and angry. The last thing the bandit knew was a sword sliding through his gut.

Gourry and Zelgadis made quick work of the bandits. Lina and Amelia lending a hand where possible, but the two were in too much shock at having their magic fail to be much help.

When the dust had settled, any bandits that had been able had fled the scene. Others lay in heaps, having paid the ultimate price for their choice in livelihood.

Gourry was the first to approach the girls. "You guys okay?"

Lina and Amelia could only look at each other in complete confusion. Why hadn't their magic worked?

"This can't be happening again," Lina said, disbelief heavy in her voice. "It can't be! Quick, Amelia, try something basic!"

Both Lina and Amelia chanted a Lighting spell then, both holding out a hand for where the gathered magic would manifest...but nothing happened. The two stared dumbly at each other, not even sure how to react.

Gourry and Zelgadis watched silently, trying too to figure out what this could possibly mean. Both were waiting intently for Lina or Amelia to say something, neither prepared for when Lina suddenly whirled around and launched herself at Zelgadis, latching onto his arms.

"Zel, cast something! Anything!" Lina pleaded. She looked very distressed as she shook Zelgadis.

Zelgadis shrugged Lina off, feeling very awkward being put on the spot. With everyone watching him intently, Zelgadis hesitantly followed suit and also chanted a Lighting spell. When he held his hand out for the magic, it quickly manifested itself in the form of a ball of light.

"Ah!" Gourry pounded his fist. "It worked! But...what does that mean?" Gourry turned to Lina for an answer.

Lina looked even more confused now. As she puzzled through this new tidbit of information she turned back to Amelia, who was also puzzling over things.

"Oh!" Amelia snapped her finger, "Miss Lina, it's not...er, you know," she glanced back at Gourry and Zelgadis who looked back expectantly, but all it did was cause Amelia to blush. She turned back to Lina instead, trying to calm herself.

Lina looked at her curiously, but things suddenly fell into place. "Oh...oh, that. Umm...er, no, I just barely got over that about a wee-" Lina cut off her train of thought as she shot a glance back at Gourry. She returned her gaze to Amelia and coughed nervously. "What about you, Amelia?"

Amelia made sure to keep her eyes on anything but Zelgadis and Gourry, who were still looking on with interest. Unable to say anything without feeling further embarrassment, she instead shook her head 'no'.

Lina frowned. "I would have almost been relieved if it were just _that_."

Gourry suddenly perked up. "Oh! It's that thing girls don't like talking about! That's what you guys were wondering?"

Zelgadis coughed into his fist, fighting off his own blush. "Granted, it's not a subject that usually comes up. At least not in our company." Zelgadis suddenly found a small rock on the ground very interesting.

Amelia just covered her eyes while Lina whirled back to face Gourry, stomping her foot as she went.

"Gourry! Why is it you can't remember what happened a week ago Tuesday, but you remember _that_?" Lina glared angrily at Gourry.

Gourry just gave a laugh. "That's because I've always wondered what it is! No one ever tells me, but it comes up all the time." He smiled at Lina, the picture of innocence. "Is it something important?"

Lina lost the battle and was overcome by a major blush herself. Her aggressive stance dropped as she turned away from Gourry. "Nevermind. Lets just get out of here before something else tries to jump us."

"But Lina!" Gourry called after her, but Lina was already walking away, Amelia in tow. He dropped his arm back down to his side. "See? No one ever tells me! Is it some secret girls aren't allowed to tell?" He looked to Zelgadis for an answer.

Zelgadis just ribbed his forehead, trying to fight off his own growing blush. "Don't worry about it, Gourry. It's just one of the many weird quirks of girls."

"So you don't know either, huh?" Gourry looked at Zelgadis in surprise.

"Er..well, no, not really." Zelgadis ducked his head. "It's not exactly something Rezo taught me. He was male, after all."

"Huh," Gourry replied, but then he shrugged. "Oh well, maybe someday Lina will tell me."

Zelgadis stifled a smile. "Maybe so."

The two men dropped off into silence as they started after Lina and Amelia.

_To be continued..._

Next time: "What?" Lina suddenly sat up and frowned at Zelgadis. "You expect me to stay here, cooped up to do nothing? I can't afford that!"

_Author's notes: You better believe I enjoyed writing this chapter! I've had people question me on Zelgadis not knowing. I've a sneaking suspicion he knows more than he cares to on woman's issues, but he's not exactly grown up with women surrounding him so I doubt he knows exactly what "that time of the month" is all about. (As it is, I doubt it's a topic he'd want to talk to Gourry about when women are present. Talk about awkward!)_


	3. Something is Discussed

Chapter 3: Something is Discussed

A week later the group was still just as clueless as they'd been when the whole mess had started. Unfortunately, no one was sure exactly when it had started in the first place... They'd visited healers of various kinds who could find nothing wrong, or even any lead on what could be causing the magic block afflicting Lina and Amelia.

Lina, for her part, had been getting more and more worked up as the days went by with nothing to go on. The ongoing headache wasn't helping much, but Lina blamed it on her stress levels. So much stress, and no way to give it an outlet!

Amelia, on the other hand seemed to have withdrawn somewhat into herself. She was usually an early riser, but Lina had noticed Amelia was starting to sleep in more often. Plus, she was always tired and ready to call it a day long before the others.

Lina just couldn't figure it out, and it was driving her crazy!

"Hate it, hate it, hate it, hate it, hate it," she droned as she slumped in her chair. The group had spent another fruitless day trying to solve the missing magic mystery, having finally decided a food break was in order. Lina massaged her temples, attempting to relieve her headache.

From across the table, Amelia gave a big yawn. The lack of stimulation was doing nothing to keep her alert. She looked to Gourry and Zelgadis, but they seemed lost in thought. Aside from Lina's ongoing mantra, nothing was going on. She felt her head starting to bob, a sure sign another wave of tiredness was upon her, so Amelia appeased it by resting her head on her arms. It wasn't long before she was dozing.

Gourry looked worriedly over at Lina as he poked Zelgadis in the side. He leaned in close whispering to the other man, "What do we do now?"

Zelgadis looked at him and shrugged. "What choice do we have? We can't find anything to help us figure out what's going on. We're just wasting our time. I don't know if it's wise to keep traveling, either."

"What?" Lina suddenly sat up and frowned at Zelgadis. "You expect me to stay here, cooped up to do nothing? I can't afford that!" She pounded her fist on the table, causing Amelia to jerk awake.

"Huwha?" Amelia blurted out as she sat up, trying to regain consciousness.

"Oops," Lina lifted her fist up off the table, "sorry about that, Amelia." She then turned her gaze back on Zelgadis. "Well?"

Zelgadis started playing with his fingers, scared to look Lina in the eye. "What?"

Gourry leaned in then to come to Zelgadis' aid. "He has a point, Lina. If you can't use magic, then it's dangerous for you to be wandering."

"What, you too, Gourry?" Lina glared up at her protector. "What ever happened to letting me live my life? I've better things to do than stay in one spot sitting pretty."

A moment of silence passed before Gourry and Zelgadis looked to Lina for emphasis. "Like?"

"Like, like..." Lina trailed off, not having expected to be put on the spot. "Like see the world! Eat good food! There are still so many wonderful dishes out there I've yet to try!" Her look suddenly softened. "I'll go crazy here, you know I will. And what of Amelia?"

Amelia jerked at hearing her name, still fighting to wake up. "Me?" She blinked at Lina, wishing she could just crawl up to bed.

Lina nodded back. "Yes, you. What do you intend to do, Amelia?"

Amelia rested her chin on her hand as she thought. "I don't know, I hadn't really considered what I would do in a situation like this. There is always going home..." She trailed off. A moment later she started to breathe in more deeply, alerting everyone to Amelia having fallen asleep again.

Lina made a face. "I don't think traveling with her like this would be a good idea..." she felt Gourry and Zelgadis staring at her. "NOT that we shouldn't, of course! We'll just have to take special precaution."

"Such as?" Gourry asked. He wasn't really liking the idea of staying in one place, but traveling didn't seem wise, either.

"Hey, I'm too hungry to be thinking! Just shut up and let me enjoy my meal in peace, okay? We'll figure something out later." Lina pouted and crossed her arms, even after the food arrived a minute later.

Gourry and Zelgadis dared not say anything further, but they shared a look with each other. They would have to work something out themselves, most likely when Lina wasn't around. They spent the rest of the meal in relative silence, Zelgadis having to gently prod Amelia every so often to keep her from falling asleep in her soup.

* * *

Later that evening, after Lina and Amelia had gone to their inn room to sleep, Gourry and Zelgadis likewise retired to their room. Sleep was the last thing on their minds.

"So what do we do?" Gourry was seated on the edge of his bed, his hands in his lap. He looked to Zelgadis, who was busily pacing back and forth in front of the beds.

"I'm thinking," Zelgadis replied. Indeed, he had one hand gripping his chin, the other gripping the elbow of his other arm as he paced back and forth. "I feel as if this should be familiar, but I have no idea why. What is it that could block Lina and Amelia's magic, but leave mine untouched? We were with them the entire time...except..." Zelgadis stopped his pacing.

Gourry looked up with interest. "What is it?"

"I was just thinking, but no, can't be," Zelgadis scoffed at himself, shaking his head. "Then again.." He looked to see Gourry waiting expectantly. Zelgadis coughed to clear his throat. "It's probably nothing, but I was just thinking that we _have_ been with them the entire time - except for times like this. What if someone snuck into their sleeping quarters one night and sealed their magic?"

Gourry thought over this for a moment, his face scrunched up in concentration. "There's just one problem with that. We would have heard something, wouldn't we? No one's gotten past us before." Gourry looked back to Zelgadis, feeling concerned that he somehow failed to protect Lina.

Zelgadis tapped his chin. "Good point." He then sighed and threw his arms up in the air. "Well then, I have no idea. I guess for now all we can do is keep looking for answers."

"And keep Lina and Amelia safe," Gourry added.

"Right," Zelgadis nodded. "Whether Lina would admit to it or not, she's vulnerable without her magic. We'll have to really keep an eye on her."

"What about Amelia?" Gourry asked, again looking concerned.

Zelgadis blinked in surprise. "What about her?"

"Without her magic, she won't be able to pull us out of scrapes like what we've had before." Gourry unconsciously grabbed the upper part of his right arm where he'd been injured in a past fight. "We can't just keep traveling and expect things to stay the same."

Zelgadis just stared at Gourry for a moment. "I hate to say it, but you're right. I can't even compete with her healing skill. We would all be in danger if we just carried on like we have previously."

"So how do we break it to them?" Gourry looked terrified just then, knowing that Lina would hate being coddled.

Zelgadis finally took a seat on his bed. "I don't think we should. We'll just limit how far and how late we travel, and stick to the main roads. Lina might suspect what we're up to, but anything's better than anyone getting killed."

Gourry nodded, content with the answer. He settled down onto his bed, but after a moment he sat back up. "Hey, Zel?"

"Mm?" Zelgadis looked back over to Gourry.

"What will you do if we don't figure out what's wrong?" Gourry had that look of concern again.

Zelgadis quirked a stony brow. "What do you mean?"

Gourry sighed, turning to face his body toward Zelgadis. "You were already in the middle of your own search, right? What happens if you have to choose your own search over helping Lina and Amelia?"

Zelgadis would have backed away from Gourry's penetrating gaze if he could. He tried to think of a good answer, but nothing came to mind. Yes, he would want to do all he could to help Lina and Amelia, but what if their condition wasn't a quick fix? If it came down to helping himself or helping his friends, which would he choose?

Zelgadis finally raised his eyes to meet Gourry's. "I honestly don't know, Gourry. I'd rather not think about it."

Gourry studied Zelgadis a moment longer, but finally decided to let his question drop. "Okay then. Sorry I brought it up. Night, Zelgadis." He then slid under his covers and rolled over, facing away from Zelgadis.

As Gourry's soft snoring filled the room, Zelgadis stared thoughtfully at his hands. "What _would_ I do?"

_To be continued..._

Next time: "Zelgadis, get her out of here!"

_Author's notes: Does anyone read these notes? It seems like I used to talk a lot after a chapter, but anymore I'm content just to post up what I've written. Maybe I secretly fear revealing too much! Regardless, far too much research went into this, as well as the input of friends. For that I am thankful, as this is something I know nothing personally about..._

_Anyway, insert amazing author's notes here. I'll be posting the next chapter next Thursday - provided I don't lose track of time like I did today!_


	4. Something is Lost

Chapter 4: Something is Lost

Three weeks. Lina scowled to herself. It had been three weeks since Gourry and Zelgadis had 'overthrown' her as leader of the group. The two men had insisted on setting a new pace if they were to keep traveling, and since Lina wanted to get to the bottom of things, travel they would. She just wasn't too happy with the current situation! She stuck her tongue out at her reflection before hurling her brush to the vanity. She had only been up for a short while, but already she was on the warpath.

Lina saw in the mirror's reflection that Amelia was _still_ in bed. Lina growled, stomping over to Amelia's bedside. "I already told you twice, Amelia, wake up! I'm not letting another day get past us!" Lina roughly shook Amelia to rouse her once and for all.

Amelia did quickly wake up, jerking away from Lina's wrath. She started to get up from the bed, but suddenly a pained look crossed her face as she sank back down onto the mattress.

"Hey, what gives?" Lina snapped. "You can't stay in bed forever! They'll not be serving breakfast for much longer, and I for one will be VERY upset if we miss it!"

Amelia whimpered as she again started up out of bed. "I'm sorry, Miss Lina, I just don't feel right."

"Not with the way you've been eating, no," Lina scowled, "which is why we're going to go eat some breakfast. Now get to it!" Her task complete, Lina stalked off to go put on her traveling clothes.

Amelia sat at the edge of her bed, just staring at the floor. Something definitely wasn't right, but she wasn't sure what. Everything in her body was screaming, "Wrong! Wrong!" at her, but she dared not disobey Lina. Lina had been acting even more violent than usual, having snapped at the rest of the group far more often than she ever had previously. "When will this nightmare end?" Amelia sighed, reaching for her clothes.

"What was that?" Lina asked from across the room, a scowl still on her face. She continued to pull on her clothing.

"Oh," Amelia started, "I was just wondering what's on the menu today."

"Better be something good," Lina replied, finally pulling on her cloak. "You set yet?"

Amelia looked up from pulling on a boot. "Yes, Miss Lina, I'm coming."

The two left the room and walked down the hall before coming to the dining hall. They quickly spotted Gourry and Zelgadis and made for their table.

"Morning, ladies," Gourry smiled.

Zelgadis just gave a small wave.

"Funny, feels like it's noon to me," Lina muttered. The smell of food was quickly sapping her aggression, so she quickly settled into her seat. A hint of a smile could actually be seen on her face. "What's for breakfast?"

"Everything," Gourry grinned. "It should be coming soon, too."

Lina cheered at this, feeling much more like her usual self.

Amelia, meanwhile, was staring down at the table. Zelgadis couldn't help but notice that she was looking a bit ill. He leaned in closer to Amelia. "Are you feeling alright?"

Amelia looked up to Zelgadis as if noticing him for the first time. She gave him a small smile, but it quickly faded, being replaced by a frown. "I'm okay, I just don't feel right. I think the smell's getting to me, that's all." Amelia tried to wave Zelgadis off.

Zelgadis looked at her with concern, but he couldn't smell anything wrong in the air. The usual smells of cooking bacon, eggs, sausage, and whatever else they were serving for breakfast filled the air. Zelgadis' stomach growled, eager to take part in more than just the smells of food.

Just then a server arrived, many trays in hand. He smiled at the group as he laid out the order on the table, leaving to work on more of the order. Everyone looked at their morning meal with great delight - everyone but Amelia. Amelia took one look at the heaping pile of scrambled eggs and suddenly convulsed. She attempted to stand up and move away from the table, but all she accomplished was leaning away from the table as her stomach's contents met the floor with a loud "SPLAT!"

Zelgadis was instantly up out of his chair and at Amelia's side, Lina and Gourry looking up from their daily food fight to see what the commotion was about. "Are you okay, Amelia?"

Amelia turned her head and opened her mouth to answer, but she suddenly jerked her arm up in Zelgadis' face as she turned away, parting with more of her previous meal. She was breathing heavily, trying to stay standing but failing at this as well.

"Zelgadis, get her out of here!" Lina shouted from the table, not wanting to see Amelia cause too much of a mess. Gourry sat next to her looking down at Amelia in shock.

Without another word Zelgadis scooped Amelia up into his arms as he made his way back to the room she and Lina had shared, hoping all the while that whatever needed to work its way out of Amelia's system was now done. He did feel Amelia convulse more, but she didn't throw up again. Upon reaching the room, he entered and gently lay Amelia on a bed. As Amelia wasn't up for conversation at the moment, he looked about nervously, wondering what else he should do.

Amelia continued to breath heavily, trying to keep her muscles from contracting. It was painful, plus her throat was burning from the vomit. "C-could you open the window?" she asked weakly.

Zelgadis instantly complied by rushing to the window and opening it wide. A cool breeze blew into the room. He could feel Amelia instantly settling down, so he returned to her side. "Is that better?"

Amelia breathed in the fresh air and smiled. "Yes, thank you." She took in the fresh air for a few minutes before feeling Zelgadis' gaze on her. "I made an awful mess, didn't I?"

Zelgadis looked away. "Umm..yes, you did. Are you feeling any better?"

Amelia nodded. "The smell..I don't know why, but those eggs," she started to gag but took in a deep breath to calm herself before continuing, "something about them just didn't agree with me. Odd, since I didn't even get to _eat_ any." She looked back up at Zelgadis. "I'm sorry, I ruined breakfast for everyone."

Zelgadis scuffed his shoe on the floor. "Don't worry about it, we'll take care of it. Do you think you'll be able to keep anything down?"

Amelia frowned. "I don't know, just the smell of food makes me feel sick... Ugh. I'll try some water to start though." Amelia made to sit up, but was stopped by Zelgadis stooping down and holding his hand out to keep her from getting up.

"Don't, Amelia. Just..just stay here for now. I'll go get you some." Zelgadis gave a slight smile, then stood straight and walked from the room.

Amelia flopped back down on the bed. "Miss Lina's crankier than usual and I can't stomach the smell of food. Just what is going on?" She stuck out her tongue then, realizing how awful her mouth tasted. The faster Zelgadis got back so she could drown out the awful taste, the better.

_To be continued..._

Next time: "But Saillune!" Lina suddenly sat back up, but eased herself back down when her head began to spin. "Why didn't I even think about Saillune? There must be someone or something there that can help us, right?"

_Author's Notes: Yeah...that might have been a bit 'graphic' to some, for which I apologize a bit._

_In other news, yes, I am over a week late, for which I also apologize, but something came up that couldn't be ignored. Namely, three abandoned kittens. It really irks me how anyone could take a baby animal, love it up, then decide to dump it out in rural land and expect them to somehow thrive. Thankfully they were not too bad off when we rescued them, if you don't consider starving and heavily infested with fleas not too bad... Good news is that the kittens are now thriving and flea-free, and I again have cats in my life. So, even though it still bothers me how some humans choose to treat unwanted pets, I am thankful we were able to rescue them in time to undo damage done._


	5. Something About Girl Talk

Chapter Five: Something About Girl Talk

When Lina woke up she noticed Amelia was already awake, but the other girl was just sitting up in bed staring at her hand. Lina blinked tiredly at this for a moment before deciding she wanted to know what was up. "What are you doing, Amelia?"

Amelia continued to stare at her hand, not even glancing in Lina's direction. "I'm just thinking," she replied, still staring at her hand.

"What's so interesting about your hand to want to make you think about it?" Lina yawned, not sure Amelia was all there.

"I just don't understand it," Amelia replied, never taking her eyes from her hand. "We never seemed to encounter anyone or anything that could have done this to us. It's been too long since I could use magic. It makes me feel...useless."

"You're telling me!" Lina grumbled. "No magic, no bandit thrashing, not even a random Fire Ball just for fun! I've had to resort to using _candles_ if I want to read at night!" Lina crossed her arms as she grumped. "Also, whatever you caught you gave to me. How fair is it that I can't eat anything without losing it soon after? Who would do such a thing?"

Amelia finally dropped her hand and turned to Lina. "It doesn't seem to be an illness, from what I can tell. Aside from not being able to keep food down, I feel normal later in the day. What about you, Miss Lina?"

"It's not worth getting to later in the day without a decent meal in my tummy..." Lina mumbled.

"I'll take that as a yes," Amelia sighed. "And poor Mister Gourry and Mister Zelgadis. They've become so restless."

"_They've_ become restless? What about me? Do you have any idea how torturous it is being cooped up like this?" Lina raged from her seat on her bed. "...when are they bringing us that toast, anyway?"

Amelia gave a slight chuckle. "Soon, I imagine. Mister Gourry and Mister Zelgadis both have gotten really good at checking in on us since it's not really a good idea for us to go near the dining hall. Not since the last time..." Amelia trailed off.

"Hey!" Lina exclaimed, "how was I supposed to know I'd get ill soon after you? I was so happy eating that good food, until it turned against me!" Lina flopped back on her bed. "Toast, toast! Reduced to living off of toast and water! What I wouldn't give for some Saillune Soft Serve Ice Cream." Lina got a big satisfied grin.

Amelia closed her eyes and sighed. "At the rate we're going, it will be months before we see Saillune again. Plus, I don't know if I want to worry Daddy like that."

"But Saillune!" Lina suddenly sat back up, but eased herself back down when her head began to spin. "Why didn't I even think about Saillune? There must be someone or something there that can help us, right?"

Amelia rested her palms on her forehead. "Miss Lina, _I_ don't even know what's wrong with us.. I hate to admit it since I am a priestess, but I don't have a clue! There might be someone or something there to help, but it's so far away." Not to mention, it would be embarrassing to return home in her current condition. Amelia sighed, running her hands over her scalp. "We're visiting another healer today anyway, aren't we?"

Lina nodded. "Yeah. I sure hope they can help. I can't go another _month_ without my magic!" Lina buried her head back in her pillow, ending the conversation.

_To be continued..._

Next time: "Lina, what happened?" Gourry asked. Worry was clearly written all over his face. This was most definitely not normal Lina behavior!

_Author's notes: Gah, I'm not only a day late in posting, I'm two days late in posting (since it's now midnight). The week escaped me! And it's not even a big chapter. All part of my master plan... Longer chapter next week, I promise!_


	6. Something is Developing

Chapter Six: Something is Developing

"I'm WHAAAAAT?" If Lina could have cast a spell, surely the clinic she and Amelia were currently in would have been blown sky high. Seeing how she couldn't, she made up for it in volume.

"You're pregnant," the priestess smiled. "Congratulations." She patted Lina on the shoulder.

Lina, for her part, was now staring off into space. "Pa-pa...preg..."

Amelia tugged on Lina's arm as she stepped forward. "Th-thank you, ma'am. She's just overcome with the shock." Amelia bit her tongue, thankful Lina seemed to have checked out so she'd not protest. Amelia paid the woman, then helped Lina from the room. "Miss Lina, what do we tell Mister Gourry and Mister Zelgadis?" she whispered as they walked toward the waiting room.

"Pa...pa... Gourry!" Lina gulped. "We can't tell him! We can't tell them anything!"

"We have to tell them, Miss Lina!" Amelia scolded quietly. The waiting room was looming ever nearer. "We won't be able to keep it a secret for much longer anyway, if the priestess is right."

Lina whirled on Amelia and pushed her into the wall. "_Any_ time is better than no time, specifically _now_! How do you think Gou-er, the _guys_ will react if they know we're _pregnant_?" Lina whispered angrily. "It's not exactly a good thing here!"

"B-but," Amelia stammered, "you want to lie? To Mister Gourry and Mister Zelgadis? Miss Lina, that goes against everything I stand for!" Amelia retorted in a loud whisper.

Lina gripped onto Amelia's wrists and pulled her arms down, forcing Amelia's attention to her. "And what do you propose? Just walk in there and exclaim, 'Hey guys, we're pregnant!' Oh yes, that will go over so well with _Mister_ Zelgadis." Lina narrowed her eyes at Amelia. "Honestly, Amelia, what do you think Zel will do when he finds out two of his traveling companions are going to be waylaid for _months_? Do you think he'll want to stick around for that?"

Amelia fell silent, chancing a glance down the hall to where Zelgadis and Gourry were waiting. She returned her gaze to Lina, shaking her head.

"This is not something to take lightly, Amelia. It's not even months you'll be unable to travel, but _years_. Decades even! Kids are serious commitment! Chances are you'd never see him again! Why would he want to be with a girl who...who..." Lina suddenly let loose a sob. "It...it'll change everything..." Lina's grip on Amelia's wrists loosened as she sagged a bit.

Amelia could feel tears stinging her eyes as well. "I un-understand," she choked. "Miss Lina, I'm just so scared!" Without giving Lina a chance to respond, Amelia reached out and grabbed Lina up in a hug. Lina might have recoiled under normal circumstances, but she was also secretly terrified.

When the two finally emerged into the waiting room, they were a mess of tear-streaked faces. Gourry was instantly up on his feet.

"Lina, what happened?" Gourry asked. Worry was clearly written all over his face. This was most definitely not normal Lina behavior!

Lina finally freed herself from Amelia and walked to Gourry's side. "They couldn't find anything," Lina looked down at her boots with interest. She had to resist more tears when she felt Gourry place a hand gently on her shoulder.

Zelgadis looked to Amelia, finding it odd when she gave him a guilty look before turning away from his gaze.

"What do we do now, Lina?" Gourry had started to rub Lina's back, continuing to do so when Lina actually leaned into his hand instead of away.

"Mmm," Lina thought out loud, being soothed by Gourry's backrub. "Normally I'd say lets go eat something, but I don't think I cam stomach it just now. A nap might be in order though," Lina gave a small yawn. She wasn't really that tired, but she wanted some time alone to think.

"A nap would be good," Amelia agreed with a big yawn. "Something to let...us..." her head drooped as she slid backward. Luckily Amelia had been standing near the wall so she hit it, giving Zelgadis time to stop her descent to the floor. Amelia's eyes fluttered open at feeling Zelgadis' arms around her. "Sor-" was as far as she got before again being claimed by sleep.

Zelgadis held her up awkwardly, not used to having people fall asleep in his arms while still standing. "What kind of quack operation is this? NObody can figure it out? I might need to go have a talk with that-"

"NO!" Lina bellowed suddenly.

Zelgadis looked up in surprise, Gourry too jerking to look down at Lina.

"Just..just don't worry about it, Zel," Lina tried to sound more casual after her outburst. "Right now I think it's more important we get Amelia back to bed." Lina bit her tongue, not enjoying having to lie, but oh so thankful Amelia had inadvertently provided her with a way out of the current situation.

Lina put a hand to her stomach feeling it churn. At this point she couldn't tell if it was indigestion, or indeed a little life forming inside her. Lina tried to beat her fears back down as Gourry escorted her back out into the street.

* * *

Zelgadis' lone footsteps echoed through the hall as he walked, being careful of his sleeping burden. He had left Lina and Gourry's company while still out in the streets, Lina having come across an ice cream vendor and deciding a treat was in order. Zelgadis shook his head. Lina would never be separated from her sweets if she could help it.

Zelgadis finally found the door to Amelia and Lina's room, leaning himself against the wall as he fished around in Amelia's purse to find her key. Amelia, for her part, never stirred. Key in hand, Zelgadis then struggled with his one free hand to open the lock while keeping Amelia balanced in his other arm. If he wasn't so concerned about what was affecting her, he would have gladly roused her from sleep to get her to stand.

After struggling a moment, Zelgadis finally heard the tell-tale "CLICK" and grinned to himself as he let himself into the room. He leaned back against the door to shut it quietly, then proceeded toward a bed to finally set Amelia down.

Amelia's eyes shot open when her head hit the pillow, but before she was able to focus her gaze on her companion, her eyelids closed again. She settled onto the bed and continued sleeping.

Zelgadis shook his head. "Something is definitely not right here." He leaned down to brush hair from Amelia's eyes before leaving the room, but he suddenly paused and tilted his head. He was silent a moment before placing a hand to his chest, then was still again. He then reached out and took one of Amelia's wrists in his hand, placing his fingers over the blood veins there.

Zelgadis' eyes bugged out.

He looked at Amelia's face again, gauging if she was at all awake. Deeming her sound asleep, he leaned over her again, this time with his ear toward her chest. He only got more perplexed when he realized a similar sound also coming from Amelia, but nowhere near where it ought to be.

Zelgadis stood and began to pace about the room, alarmed at what he had heard, but unsure what to do about it. He finally shook his head and leaned down next to Amelia again. He shook her arm gently. "Amelia, hey. Hey, wake up."

Amelia gave a low moan at being roused, but opened her eyes to see Zelgadis looking down at her. She looked back up at him in confusion. "Did I..fall asleep again?" She yawned.

Zelgadis nodded his head. "Yes, but that's not important right now. Amelia, what did the priestess tell you and Lina? Lina said she knew nothing, but your look said otherwise."

Amelia gave a start. "I...I don't know what you're talking about, Mister Zelgadis. That is..." Amelia scooted toward the head of the bed so she could sit up and get out from under Zelgadis' intent gaze.

"Did she say anything about a heart murmur?" Zelgadis deadpanned, completely unimpressed.

"H-heart..?" Amelia instinctively placed a hand to her heart. "No, nothing is wrong with my heart. Why would you think that?" The fear was starting to rise in Amelia's voice.

"I heard something just now, Amelia, something not normal at all." He pointed a finger at Amelia's gut. "Are you going to tell me the priestess found nothing still?"

Amelia trembled, her teeth actually chattering. She attempted to deny everything, to say anything that might have been credible, but instead she erupted into sobs.

Zelgadis tumbled backward, not having expected the sudden outburst. "Whoa, Amelia, calm down! What's the matter? What did she tell you?" Zelgadis could feel his conscience beating on him for causing Amelia to become so upset.

Amelia wrapped her arms around her middle, as if to keep prying eyes off her. "I don't know how to tell you," she sobbed. "I...it's not...not," Amelia was cut off by more sobbing.

Zelgadis was suddenly terrified of what he had walked into, not sure how to get out of the situation. It would be really easy just to get up and walk away, but this was _Amelia_! To do so, he would be as heartless as she had once claimed. He instead reached out and gently placed a hand on Amelia's arm.

"Does this have to do with what I heard, Amelia?" he asked in a quiet voice.

Amelia gave a nod. She gave another shudder, but started to regain her composure. "M-Miss Lina didn't want me to tell you...but I can't lie to you, Mister Zelgadis." Amelia took a shaky breath. _Even if it causes you to leave,_ she thought. "The priestess found what was wrong, why we haven't been able to use magic, why we can't..." Amelia trailed off, wanting to look at Zelgadis, but afraid to meet his intense stare.

"I'm expecting," she finally said simply.

Zelgadis was stunned to silence, unable to even breathe. His logical side was finally able to kick him upside the head, bringing him back to his senses. "A...Amelia, did you?"

"NO!" Amelia exclaimed, suddenly looking very indignant. "It goes against everything I have ever been taught!"

Zelgadis suddenly wished he could just jump out the window and run fleeing into the hills. An upset Amelia was bad, but an indignant Amelia was not to be taken lightly! Zelgadis waved a hand in defense. "I didn't mean that...but...then how is it possible?"

Amelia's indignant fury died almost as soon as it arose. "I...don't know." She looked down at her stomach, placing her hands there. "I'm so scared.." she rasped out, still looking at her stomach.

Only silence answered Amelia.

"Mister Zelgadis?" Amelia asked cautiously, lifting her gaze to look about the room. All she found was an empty room, the door hanging slightly ajar.

Amelia lowered her gaze again, feeling fresh tears ready to burst.

"Forgive me."

_To be continued..._

Next time: Zelgadis looked up from his seat in the corner. He gave Gourry a nod in greeting. "We need to talk."

_Author's notes: The bomb has been dropped. So, how many people were taken by surprise by the revelation? I'm really happy that a few reviewers got it before this chapter. I love when people pick up on the little clues I leave about!_

_Also, yes, this is late. Blame homework, but also my social life. I'm trying to keep sane during my stint as an unemployed adult. It's not fun!_


	7. Something is Hidden

Chapter Seven: Something is Hidden

That evening found Lina in a much better mood than she'd been in previously. She had intended to go set up camp in the inn to puzzle over getting out of her current predicament, but after spying ice cream and finding it agreed with her, Lina instead spent much of the day eating her fill of delectable frozen treats.

"Oog, maybe I overdid it a bit," Lina moaned, leaning back in her seat.

Gourry nodded. "Your stomach's really bulging out now, Lina."

Lina instantly sat up. "It is?" She looked down at her stomach in horror.

"Yeah," Gourry continued, "because you stuffed it so full. I guess not being able to eat regularly really built up your appetite, huh?" Gourry chuckled.

Lina put a hand to her throat while resting the other over her stomach. "Yeah..that's it." She settled back into her chair, falling to silence.

Gourry twiddled his thumbs. "So, did you want to head back to see what Amelia and Zel are up to now?"

Lina replied with a nod. "That, that might be good..." she didn't rise from her chair, however, keeping a hand on her stomach.

Gourry noticed but didn't say anything, instead rising to his feet then holding out an arm for Lina. Lina looked at him curiously before taking the offered arm, which Gourry then used to pull Lina to her feet. He smiled hearing Lina give a laugh at nearly being lifted off her feet.

Lina leaned into Gourry's side for a moment, enjoying whatever time she had left before he'd learn the truth and everything would be destroyed.

"Lina?" Gourry asked, not used to having Lina express any sort of attachment in such a way.

"Thank you," she mumbled into his shirt, then pushed herself away and started to walk toward the street. "Lets get out of here. I think I need to make an emergency trip to the lady's room soon."

Gourry quirked an eyebrow and was about to exclaim, "But you're not a lady," but thought better of it, instead offering up a shrug. "Whatever you want, Lina." He then hastened his pace to catch up.

The two finally reached the inn, Gourry escorting Lina to her room before heading off to his own. He stretched his arms and yawned as he approached his own room, opening the door to head inside.

Zelgadis looked up from his seat in the corner. He gave Gourry a nod in greeting. "We need to talk."

_To be continued..._

Next time: "Hey," Lina looked up with surprise, "Where's Zelgadis?"

_Author's notes: Once upon a time it was a Thursday, and I had every intention to post up this chapter. A tree, however, decided that windless day was the perfect day to fall, and even better, to take a power pole out with it! Without the power pole, the power lines could not deliver power. Without power, the internet could not get to my laptop. Sitting in darkness for eight hours, I couldn't do much of anything. And then, the remainder of the week was spent scrambling to accomplish things that couldn't be done in a dark house._

_So there you have it. I'm very late in posting up a chapter this week, but I wasn't being neglectful on purpose! Also, thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter! I got them, I was glad to read them, but I haven't yet had the time to reply to them. Hopefully soon._

_(And yes, I know this chapter is horribly short. I didn't want to break up the next part, so I decided not to post it up at all.)_


	8. Something Emotional

Chapter Eight: Something Emotional

Gourry paused outside Lina and Amelia's room, unsure of what he was about to do. It sounded easy enough, but was it right? Would Lina approve? Gourry finally decided worrying would only give him a headache and knocked on the door. He hid a grin when he heard Lina's tired, "Whaddya want?" from the other side.

"Hey, Lina, get up and dressed and come out. Bring Amelia with you." Gourry tried to sound excited. "I've got a surprise!" Gourry stepped away from the door when he heard incoming footsteps, Lina opening the door to glare daggers at him soon after.

"Does it have to be now?" Lina asked, looking very grumpy. "I've got a headache and don't feel too great. That ice cream had the last laugh..." Lina trailed off muttering.

Gourry just gave Lina a smile. "Trust me, Lina, this will make you feel better. At least, I hope so." Gourry scratched his chin.

Lina squinted at Gourry a moment but then tossed her hands up. "Okay, okay, fine. Might be good to get some fresh air anyway. Hey, Amelia!" Lina turned away from the door letting it close, the rest of what she said being muffled.

Gourry whistled to himself as he pulled out a piece of paper with a simple map scrawled on it. He studied it with intent as he waited, wanting to be sure he'd not get lost. After half an eternity Lina finally reemerged, a yawning but dressed Amelia following right behind.

"This surprise sure better be worth it, Gourry," Lina said, urging Gourry to lead the way.

"Trust me, you'll like it," Gourry replied, walking out of the inn and to a waiting horse and cart.

While Lina sized up this new addition, Amelia sidled over to the horse and patted it gently.

"This wasn't it, was it?" Lina frowned.

Gourry laughed out loud. "No, no! A guy I've done odd jobs for let me borrow these so that you'd not have to walk. Come on, I'll help you up."

Lina gave Gourry an odd look. "I'm not helpless, Gourry. I can get in myself." Having said so, Lina did climb up and into the cart.

"Of..of course, Lina," Gourry rubbed the back of his neck. "I was just trying to be nice. Are you coming, Amelia?"

Amelia looked up from the horse to Gourry, who was still standing beside the cart. "Yes, sorry, Mister Gourry." She gave the horse one last pat before walking up to Gourry. She sized up the cart then climbed up into it as well, settling down in the back near Lina.

"You guys all set?" Gourry asked. When he saw the two girls nod, he climbed into the seat and took the horse's reins.

"Hey," Lina looked up with surprise, "Where's Zelgadis?"

Gourry slapped the horse with the loose reins, prodding it to canter down the road. "Uh, he had some things to take care of."

"What, he _left_?" Lina exclaimed. She looked to Amelia. "Did you know about this?"

Amelia froze, opened her mouth to reply, but then just shook her head.

Lina folded her arms and slouched, a scowl on her face. "Darn that guy, anyway. Can't sit still for a moment before he's itching to leave."

Gourry didn't reply. Amelia just gave a small sigh before turning away to watch the scenery. Nothing more was said as the cart left the city and entered the peaceful countryside. Even Lina couldn't help but feel relaxed with the sun shining down on her and a soft breeze tugging gently at her hair. Gourry paused every so often to refer to his map again, before finally leading everyone to a small copse of trees, and further in, a small house.

Lina leaned on the cart, looking toward the house in curiosity. "Is this it? Who lives here?"

Amelia too had craned her neck around to look at the simple house.

"We do," Gourry replied, then climbed out of his seat. He walked to the side of the cart Lina was leaning on and offered her help down, which Lina accepted. Amelia followed soon after.

Lina batted at a crumpled pant leg before sizing up the place again. "We?" She looked back at Gourry. "Okay, Gourry, what's the deal?"

Gourry shrugged. "No deal, I just thought if we're going to be stuck in one place for awhile, we might as well find someplace else to stay so we didn't pay so much for room and board. That's all."

"You, Gourry?" Lina asked. "You thought of this all by yourself?"

Gourry suddenly looked really nervous. "Uh...yeah?"

Lina grinned and patted Gourry on the back. "Nice one, Gourry! I do hate to admit it, but my funds have been getting low. So'd you run someone out of here, or what?"

Gourry again looked really nervous. "N-no, nothing like that! I, ah, I just asked around for a place that was empty and found this. It needed a bit of fixing up, but it isn't anything I couldn't handle." Gourry gave Lina a smile.

Lina returned the smile, then looked over the house again. "You never cease to amaze me, Gourry. I'm not too keen about being stuck in one place but...given how things are, it's not a bad idea at all. What do you think, Amelia?" Lina turned to where Amelia had been standing, but no one was there. "Amelia?"

"Oh, wow!" Amelia's voice came from within the house, soon followed by Amelia poking her head out the door. "This place is nice!"

Lina could only chuckle. "That one also continues to amaze me." She shrugged at Gourry before heading into the house to see what had Amelia so excited.

Gourry watched the two as they bustled about inside, a frown on his face. He gave a sigh, but then steeled himself to follow after the two, only going so far as to poke his head through the door. "How d'ya like it?"

Lina and Amelia looked up from their investigation of the house, both smiling. "It's small, but pretty nice, Gourry." Lina replied.

Amelia shook her head. "It's not small, Miss Lina, it's _homey_. I always wanted to know what it was like to live in a place like this." She beamed.

"Yeah, yeah," Lina waved Amelia off. "It'll do, in other words."

Gourry grinned back at the two. "Great! Then I better go get the horse and cart back. I promised to help the guy I borrowed them from with a new shipment, so I won't be back for a while. Are you..." Gourry's smile faded as he looked at Lina and Amelia, a hint of worry on his face. "Do you think you'll be okay out here?"

Lina quirked a brow at Gourry, studying him for a moment. "I'm not helpless, Gourry."

"N-no, I didn't mean it like that!" Gourry ducked back behind the door frame to avoid any punishment. "I just thought if you wanted to come back to town for any reason..." He glanced back at the waiting horse and cart.

Lina put her hidden slipper behind her back, feeling Amelia's disapproving gaze on her back. "It's fine, Gourry." Lina even shot Gourry a smile. "We might not be able to use our magic, but we're still more than capable of defending ourselves, eh, Amelia?"

"Right!" Amelia pumped a fist, but also gave Gourry a smile. "Thank you for your concern, Mister Gourry."

Gourry peered back through the door again looking a bit dumbfounded, but then nodded. "Okay then, I'll be back later. Uh...have fun." Gourry then ducked back out of the doorway, pausing a moment in thought. Nothing felt out of the ordinary.

Finally as at ease as he could possibly be given the situation, Gourry set off.

* * *

"Well, that was...unusual," Lina remarked, still watching Gourry's departure from a window. She frowned and turned to look at Amelia. "Don't you think?"

Amelia didn't reply, busily exploring the contents of the pantry. She never saw the fist flying toward her until it smacked her right in the jaw, sending her reeling. She lifted a hand to cover her injured jaw, hurt eyes looking up at the fury that was Lina Inverse.

Lina was seething, fist still clenched. "You told him! After I told you not to tell! Are you that stupid?"

Anger flashed in Amelia's eyes as she regained her footing and stood up tall again. "But I didn't tell him! I didn't tell Mister Gourry anything! Why would I tell him something that you yourself need to tell him, Miss Lina?" she shouted back.

Lina's anger abated - slightly. "Somebody had to have told him! Do you really think Gourry could come up with something like this by himself? He probably..." Lina became silent as a thought came to her. Her anger rose anew as she glared at Amelia again. "You might not have told Gourry, but what about Zelgadis? Is this why he left? I can't believe you, Amelia!"

By this point the two were leaning into each other's faces, noses practically touching as they glared at each other. If not for the fact they were in a secluded area, the commotion they were causing would have attracted a lot of unwanted attention.

"I did tell Mister Zelgadis, yes. But not because I wanted to!" Amelia pumped her fists. "I told him because he already knew, Miss Lina! There was no way to get out of it!"

"He...knew?" Lina backed off slightly from Amelia, perplexed. "How could he know..?"

Amelia too backed off, dropping her gaze to the floor. "He knew because he could hear it."

Lina quirked an eyebrow. "And from that he knew instantly that you were pregnant?"

Amelia shook her head. "Well...no. I told him." She suddenly jerked her hands up in front of her to ward off another attack, looking back up at Lina. "I had no choice! He thought something was seriously wrong with me! I didn't want him to worry about something like that so...I told him the truth. Please, Miss Lina, don't be upset with me! What else could I have done?" Amelia's hands had clasped together by this point, making a pleading gesture.

Lina was silent a moment, but kicked at the floor in frustration. "Stupid, stupid Zelgadis. He must have told Gourry, so now Gourry..." Lina shook her head, slowly sinking to her knees.

Amelia also knelt down. "I'm sorry, Miss Lina."

Lina stared off into space. "He knows..he has to know. And is this why Zel really left?" Lina's detached gaze turned back to Amelia.

Amelia nodded as tears stung her eyes. "He left when I was telling him, and I haven't seen him since. He doesn't...he _can't_ get caught up in our problem."

Lina suddenly clasped onto Amelia's arms. "Amelia, face the truth! Zelgadis is just a jerk who would sooner care about his own hide than that of his friends! Can't you see that? If he really cared he'd not have left."

Amelia shook her head. "Mister Zelgadis already has his own goal to attain. Being delayed here will only keep him from it. He doesn't owe me - _us_ anything!" Even as Amelia said this, tears began streaking down her face as if to mock her own words. "Miss Lina, you know you're fortunate, don't you?"

"What?" Lina replied. "How so?"

Amelia gave a weak smile. "You have Mister Gourry. He has to know by now but he's not abandoned you. I doubt he ever will. No matter what happens, Miss Lina, you will be okay."

"You can be so mushy," Lina wanted to say, but she was stunned to silence. She finally gave a small nod, her eyes unblinking. The two girls finally embraced each other. "Sorry I hit you, Amelia," Lina muttered.

Amelia smiled, trying to ignore the shooting pain in her jaw. "It's nothing, Miss Lina, I've survived through worse than this."

_To be continued..._

Next time: "T-thank you," Lina felt a blush tinge her cheeks, but she quickly shook her head to clear her thoughts. Now was not the time to feel like a doting wife!

_Author's notes: Lateness to be blamed on my having a social life, something sorely missed. But, apologies to those who were dying from my short chapter last time! I made sure to make this one longer._

_Also, I am well aware that some people will be unhappy with how I am writing the characters here, specifically one that is now missing from the story. Feel free to rant, rave, chase after me with torches and pitchforks, etc. How I've chosen to write the story wasn't easy for me, either, but I'm trying to write what I feel is true to the characters. Which includes Lina's tendency towards extreme violence when really upset...so there you go. Hang on, it's going to be a bumpy ride!_


	9. Something Domestic

_Author's notes: So, once upon a time a great storm killed off the power and internet to my home, halting an update. After that, I then became too busy with trying to graduate from university, which then rolled into getting ready for the holidays, which then led into trying to recover from said holidays. All things considered, I did not mean to go so long without an update! So! Without further ado..._

Chapter 9: Something Domestic

Gourry arrived home early in the evening, exhausted from the day. He quietly opened the front door and walked in, before being taken by surprise by what he saw.

"Hey," Lina waved from her seat near the fireplace. She turned her attention back to the pot hanging over the fire, stirring the contents within it.

"Uh, hi," Gourry replied, trying to take in what he was seeing. Aside from Lina manning what had to be dinner, if his sense of smell told him anything, Amelia was off in the corner of the room sleeping on one of the beds. Gourry turned his attention back to Lina, finally closing the front door as he walked toward her. "Er, long day?" he asked.

Lina gave a sigh, turning enough so she could see Gourry out of the corner of her eye. "Look, I know you're not used to seeing me actually cook, but I can! I just don't usually choose to. So, are you hungry, or what?"

"Ah, I didn't mean it like that, Lina," Gourry shrank back out of reflex, "I just...I dunno, I guess I'm so used to going to restaurants with you I thought we'd be doing the same today."

Lina turned her full attention to Gourry and studied him a moment. "Yeah, I know what you mean," she sighed. She lifted the spoon she'd been using, preparing to return to the cooking food. "We just can't afford such luxuries right now."

"I don't mind, Lina." Gourry finally got brave and approached the table where dishes were set out waiting to be used. "It's a nice surprise to come home to. Smells good, too!"

Lina couldn't help but smile at the compliment. "It sure had better. I spent hours working on it! Well, we did. Amelia helped, too." Lina took a bowl from the table and ladled some of her concoction into it, placing the food in front of Gourry. "Sure is plenty of it, too, so eat up."

Gourry grinned down at his meal, but then glanced over to the far side of the room. "Should we wake Amelia?"

Lina shook her head. "Don't worry, she had plenty to eat earlier. I, ah, sort of made her try it out to make sure it was edible. I think it's best to let her sleep." Lina scratched her cheek as she suddenly looked sheepish. She looked back to Gourry, seeing him inhale the last of the contents of his bowl. She couldn't help but be surprised at how quickly he'd demolished her hard work!

"Er...hungry?" Lina asked, offering to refill Gourry's now empty bowl.

Gourry nodded. "Yeah! It's not the same as adventuring with you, but hauling stuff around makes me famished! This tastes really good, too!" Gourry beamed as he handed his bowl over to Lina.

"T-thank you," Lina felt a blush tinge her cheeks, but she quickly shook her head to clear her thoughts. Now was not the time to feel like a doting wife! Instead she quickly took and refilled Gourry's bowl before handing it back over, then turning her back to him so she could cool down in front of the fireplace. The fire, oddly, felt much cooler than she did at the moment...

"Mm, by the way, Lina?" Gourry asked between spoonfuls of food. "What happened to Amelia's face?"

"Erk!" Lina squeaked out, shooting a quick glance back at Gourry before turning to look over to where Amelia was sleeping. Darn Gourry's perceptiveness! Lina could barely even see any discoloration on Amelia's face where she'd hit her earlier, and she knew what to look for! "Ummm," Lina droned on, pretending keeping the food in the pot was more pressing than answering Gourry's question. "We just had a slight misunderstanding earlier. That's all. She's fine."

Gourry gave a nod. "If you say so. I guess if she put something on it it'll be okay." Gourry then resumed eating.

Later, after the evening meal had been finished off (courtesy of Lina and Gourry) and dishes dealt with, Gourry tiredly fell into his bed. He was asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. Lina couldn't help but look down at him and smile, feeling that warm feeling rising in her chest again. Amelia's earlier comment rang in her ears, causing Lina to flinch and look over to the sleeping priestess just to be sure she was still asleep. Lina let out a breath when she confirmed that she was the only one still awake.

Lina did finally settle into her own bed, but only after wetting a cloth in the leftover water from the evening meal and placing it on Amelia's bruised cheek. Then, with one last glance to her slumbering guardian, Lina finally allowed herself to succumb to sleep.

* * *

It was not yet daylight when a throbbing pain woke Amelia from sleep. She blinked into the darkness, her eyes gradually adjusting to the pre-dawn light in the room. She could hear Lina and Gourry both sleeping nearby, just outside the window she could hear birds greeting what would soon be a new day. She groaned and sat up slowly in bed, giving a small start when a stiff cloth landed in her hands. She studied it a moment, before realizing it must have been wet at some point. The throbbing from her jaw reminded her that a cold compress would feel really good just about now.

Amelia quietly got out of her bed and tiptoed about the room. It felt stifling just now, still warm from the previous evening's fire. With a look to her sleeping companions, Amelia opted it would be best to step outside to get some fresh air. She crept to the front door and opened it as quietly as she could, always on alert for any signs of life from Lina or Gourry. She quietly thanked the two for being deep sleepers as she stepped outside, easing the door shut behind her.

The cool morning air awakened her senses even more, instantly subduing the pain from her jaw. Amelia would have smiled, but doing so would have set off new pain. Instead she continued on quietly from the small house, toward the stream she and Lina had discovered the day before. The birds were singing loudly around her, faint tinges of sunlight finally coloring the morning sky. Amelia took it all in, taking a deep breath and reveling in the cool air.

The sun finally emerged over the horizon as Amelia reached the stream, its rays casting everything into shadows. Amelia didn't mind one bit, knowing that all too soon the day would heat up. For now she wanted to take in as much of the cool morning as she could. She knelt down at the bank of the stream, dipping her hand into the water. She almost recoiled back at how cold it was, but instead she cupped her hand to trap some of the rushing water, bringing it up to splash on her face. Short of a healing spell, the cold water felt wonderful against the heat from her injured jaw.

Amelia returned her hand to the stream, this time cupping both hands together to bring up a decent amount of water that she eagerly sipped. She swished the water about in her mouth, hoping to be rid of that awful coppery taste she'd woken up with. Taking advantage of being alone, Amelia turned her head and spit the soiled water onto the grass. She frowned at its now red-tint. Not good. She knew Lina could hit really hard, but when one had a healing spell to quickly prevent further developing injury, one never quite realized just how lethal Lina's hits could be. Amelia carefully massaged her outer jaw, gasping when she hit a particularly sensitive area.

When the numbing cold from the water had worn off, Amelia again drew water from the stream, but this time to actually drink. Although cold, it felt good to wake up in such a way. Amelia took in some more of the morning bird song before getting to her feet and wandering back to the house. She quietly re-entered the house, being sure to shut the door just as quietly.

"Morning."

Amelia jumped in surprise, putting a hand over her heart as she turned to meet her greeter. Gourry was up and getting himself dressed for the day, a smile on his face. Amelia gave a nod back. "Good morning, Mister Gourry," she whispered, partially not to wake Lina, but also partially to keep from moving her jaw too much. "Are you leaving?"

Gourry nodded as he pulled a boot on. "Yeah, I promised one of the local shopkeeps that I'd show up early to help them get some things done."

This time Amelia did smile, despite it causing her jaw to protest.

"You'll tell Lina, right? That I'll be home later today?" Finally dressed, Gourry stood and looked down at Amelia.

Amelia nodded. "Of course. Thank you, Mister Gourry." She watched as he studied Lina a moment, then with a nod in Amelia's direction he walked to the door.

Amelia stepped aside to let him pass, but paused in her retreat. "Oh, Mister Gourry? Could you...I mean, is it too much to ask for you to get us some bread? Miss Lina was wishing we had some yesterday, so I thought I would ask. I have some money if you need it," she offered.

Gourry waved her off. "Don't worry, it's not a problem at all. And save your money, Amelia. Might be good to have it for an emergency. See you later!" With a parting wave, Gourry finally left the house.

Amelia leaned against the wall, listening to Gourry's retreating footsteps. She cast a glance over to Lina, who was still sound asleep. "You really are so fortunate, Miss Lina." Amelia suddenly made a face, her jaw deciding it had reached its limit for talking. _"I sure hope Miss Lina's not in a talkative mood today,"_ Amelia sighed, but then set about getting ready for a new day.

_To be continued..._

Next time: Lina hid her face in her palm, "I guess saying sorry isn't enough."


	10. Something about Communicating

Chapter Ten: Something about Communicating

A growling stomach finally woke Lina from sleep. She blinked tiredly into the lit room, the sun shining through a nearby window in full force. "Ugh, how long was I asleep?" Lina lifted herself off of the pillow she'd had her face in. She squinted her eyes into the bright light, not seeing anyone around. "Uh...hello?"

Feeling a bit nervous (not that she'd admit she was actually _scared_), Lina climbed from her bed and pulled on some clothes before investigating. She peered around the other beds, finding evidence they had been used, but no signs of anyone still being near. "Gourry? Amelia?" Lina called out as she continued to search about the room, before deciding no one was inside the house.

A bit irked at having been left out, Lina stomped to the front door and flung it open before emerging into the bright, sunlit day. "Hey! Anybody?" Lina yelled, but still heard no response. She scowled. "They could have left a note at least." She scuffed a boot on the ground, feeling even more irked at being left to her own devices. She stewed in silence. Sure, it was possible that Gourry had gone back to town, but would Amelia? Even Lina herself, usually not caring about public opinion, wanted nothing to do with being exposed to the public eye at the moment. She placed a hand over her growing tummy and frowned.

Her stomach responded by growling again.

Lina sighed. It was too hard to hold a grudge when hungry. She and Amelia had caught some fish in the nearby stream the other day. Lina grinned, fish sounding particularly good at the moment. Her decision made, Lina set off toward the stream. The cool air coming from the stream had a calming effect on her mood, Lina actually starting to feel herself enjoying the solitude. She stopped short when she spied a figure leaning over the stream.

"Amelia?"

Amelia swiveled her head in Lina's direction, her eyes filled with tears. She was clutching a soaking wet cloth to her face. She didn't reply more than to keep her gaze on Lina.

"Oh, umm, hi," Lina replied lamely, used to seeing Amelia perkier than she was at the moment. "How're you..er, feeling?" Lina winced at her own question. She could already see Amelia was not feeling that great!

Amelia shook her head slightly, letting her jaw hang slack. She made a humming sound in her throat before stopping, instead just staring back at Lina.

"Ergh," Lina hid her face in her palm, "I guess saying sorry isn't enough." She knew exactly what was going on, her fist still smarting a bit from decking Amelia the day before. She hid the offending fist behind her back. "Have...have you been here all morning?"

Amelia nodded, diverting her attention back to the stream as she lowered her cloth back into the water before returning it to cool down her injured jaw.

Lina stood in silence, feeling very awkward. She'd always known that it wasn't really good to hit people, but her temper didn't! She bit the tip of her gloved finger unsure what else to say. Amelia didn't seem up to talking, more than likely due to it having to hurt every time she moved her jaw to do so. "Er..." Lina stammered, then finally plopped down near Amelia, "Were you hungry?"

A suddenly noisy growl and Amelia's pleading look told Lina all she needed to know. Lina smiled weakly. "Come on then, there's got to be something in the pantry I can overcook for you." She grinned at hearing a faint laugh from Amelia.

The two were getting up to leave when Amelia decided to tug on Lina's sleeve, waiting until she had Lina's attention. She held the wet cloth tightly over her injury as she uttered, "Gurri hmm litr." She scowled at her poor attempt at communication, but Lina still nodded in understanding.

Lina made it a point to rely on non-verbal communication for the rest of the day.

Another early morning greeted Gourry as he rose from bed, sore from working the previous day, but knowing full well he was the only support Lina and Amelia had. Well, that was if... As Gourry crept about the house, thoughts flitted through his mind. More than anything he wished he could put them all in a better situation, but all things considered this was keeping Lina relatively happier than if they'd had to hole up in a cave somewhere.

Intent on grabbing some breakfast in town, Gourry did the usual of exiting quietly from the house. A small lump caught his eye as he stepped outside, prompting Gourry to lean down and pick it up. It jangled with the sound of coins. Gourry clutched onto it, his eyes instantly surveying the woods around him. He held his breath and was silent, but nothing caused his senses to be on alert.

Gourry sighed, putting the small bag of coins in his pocket. The extra money would indeed be appreciated, but he still felt unsettled.

_To be continued..._

Next time: "I miss you," she whispered.

_Author's notes: Posted up purely for Kiadi for reviewing and letting me know people are still reading, and wanting to read this. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. And next time, perhaps some answers on the missing member of the group._

_Also, if you all haven't read Magical Fusion yet, you better! It's worth it!_


	11. Something about a Token

Chapter Eleven: Something about a Token

After a nearly sleepless night caused from her jaw continuing to remind her it was hurting, Amelia awoke to feeling no pain at all. Without thinking, Amelia pressed her hand to her jaw, but didn't feel a single tinge of pain. In fact, it felt like it had never been injured in the first place! She knit her brow. This stank of healing magic, but she knew that there was no way for her or for Lina to use magic for many more months yet, and Gourry had never shown any aptitude toward magic...

A single white flower suddenly drew her attention. It was resting against her pillow, nothing to indicate why it was there, or even how, yet Amelia understood. She sat up and gently plucked the flower up from the pillow, its sweet scent invading her senses. Without a word, Amelia kept ahold of the flower as she went outside, walking about the perimeter of the yard as if expecting to find someone waiting just beyond her vision.

No one was to be seen.

Amelia stood a moment longer in the early morning's light. "I miss you," she whispered, then, still clutching the flower to her chest, went back inside the house.

_To be continued..._

Next time: Lina tossed her fork down on the table. "That's it! I can't take this anymore!"

_Author's notes: This is the last of the short chapters. Hang on, it's going to be a bumpy ride!_

_Also, back when I originally wrote and posted this to my LJ, it inspired Piku-chan to draw it. I can't post direct links, but visit Deviantart and type "za my sappy regret" (minus the quotes) to see it. She so easily drew what I struggled to write!_


	12. Something about Confrontations

Chapter Twelve: Something about Confrontations

_**(Warning: Potentially strong language ahead!)**_

It seemed forever now since Gourry had settled in with the other two at the small house. Gourry had quickly fallen into the rhythm of everyday life, enjoying himself as he went about his labors to support his friends. He had been noticing that as time went on, things at home were getting all the more tense. He almost dreaded ending work for the day to return to the house, never sure when things would come to a head.

Tonight was no exception. As he walked through the door Gourry again was accosted by the all too familiar tense atmosphere. He took a quick look around the room, seeing Amelia was, as usual, sleeping on her bed, while Lina was at the table...shooting him an evil look. This did not bode well.

"H-hey, Lina," Gourry waved and gave a small smile, hoping to fend off whatever punishment Lina wanted to dish out.

Lina had a dish alright, but nothing more than the meal she and Amelia had been working on earlier. She slid a plate out toward Gourry. "Hey, Gourry," she replied in a flat tone. She picked up her fork and stabbed it into an offending piece of meat in her stew before chewing on it aggressively.

Gourry eyed his stew but suddenly didn't have an appetite. "Uh, long day?" he probed for a safe topic.

Lina tossed her fork down on the table. "That's it! I can't take this anymore!" She shouted, sending Gourry to duck for cover. "I know you're dense, but even you have to notice _this_!" So saying, Lina pointed angrily at her gut.

Gourry peered over the edge of the table at Lina. He had noticed how much her stomach had swelled up in the past few weeks, but his survival instincts had told him NEVER to mention it to Lina. Gourry steeled himself for what was to come. "What about it?"

Lina's eyes bugged out as she started to thrash about. "What about it? Are you completely blind? You have to know what this is, Gourry! This _thing_," Lina jabbed at her swelled stomach, "that's completely ruined my life! It'll ruin your life as well if you stay! It will..." Lina's wrath died rather suddenly as a sick look came over her face. She crumpled to the ground and moaned, clutching her middle.

"Lina!" Gourry dashed around the table to Lina's side. He gently placed an arm around her shoulders, unsure what to do with the other since Lina seemed in real pain. "What is it?"

Lina's mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. After a moment her eyes refocused as she looked up into Gourry's worried face. The fear in her eyes was almost too much for Gourry to take. "It...it kicked me," she almost whispered, but even that turned to sobs as she clung to Gourry.

Gourry gently stroked Lina's hair. "It's okay, Lina. If dark lords weren't able to scare me away from you, a mere baby won't, either."

Lina jerked suddenly and looked up at Gourry. "So you _did_ know," she spoke as if to herself.

Gourry just held Lina closer. "It's okay, Lina. I'm here."

Lina held onto Gourry all the tighter, glad perhaps more than ever to have Gourry by her side.

Off in a dark corner of the room Amelia couldn't help but smile at the scene, all the while feeling her own heart breaking.

* * *

Lina hummed quietly to herself, feeling much more calm now that her fears had been put at ease. The thought of having a baby still didn't thrill her, but knowing Gourry would still be there to see her through, that he refused to leave her side even if she could no longer go adventuring as in times past, it meant a great deal to her. She stooped down slowly to scoop up one of his cast off socks.

"Who'd have ever suspected that we'd still be together after all this time?" Lina continued her humming as she scoured the room for more dirty clothes. She'd have never thought herself one to make a good homemaker, but she had to admit there was some sense of satisfaction in running a home.

Lina spied a shirt tossed in the corner by Amelia's bed. She leaned against the bed as she worked to pick up the shirt. Her balance had been off for quite some time now, but it was only getting worse as the life within her grew. A sudden crinkling noise made Lina forget the shirt as she instead turned her attention to the source of the sound. There, tucked behind Amelia's pillow, Lina spied a piece of parchment.

Lina turned toward the front door. Amelia had gone out a short while ago to fetch water for their evening meal. Not hearing any approaching footsteps, Lina grew bold and reached for the parchment. As she tugged it out, many more hidden pieces of parchment came out as well. Lina became all the more curious, studying the parchment she had originally grabbed, "Dear Daddy, I," Lina read, but couldn't read on since the rest of the parchment was blank. Lina peered down at the pile.

Many pieces of parchment later Lina realized what they were. Amelia had tried many times to write a letter home, but each time stopped writing before completing it. A gasp and the splash of water hitting the ground brought Lina back to the present. She whirled around to see Amelia staring at her in shame.

Lina could not drop the pile of parchment fast enough, shaking her hand off as if to remove whatever filth she'd come in contact with. "Amelia! You're back!" Lina tried to brush off her offense with a smile.

Amelia didn't respond, instead dropping her gaze as she hefted her bucket of water to the kitchen table.

"Great," Lina breathed. Despite Amelia's usual sunny and bright attitude grating on Lina's nerves, having her fall silent was never an improvement. Getting Amelia to talk when like this was not a fun task, but Lina knew better than to leave her as she was. "So..." Lina paused, "having a bit of writer's block?"

Amelia plunked the bucket down with a big sigh. "Not exactly." Amelia settled down into a seat, fiddling nervously with an amulet. "I just don't know how to tell Daddy that his little girl...that she...that _I_ am expecting." Amelia frowned as she stared intently at the embedded hexagram in her amulet. "My family already has too many scandals. What will happen if I return home with a child and no father to be seen?"

Lina settled down on Amelia's bed. "Guess I'd not thought about that. I'm sure Phil would understand...maybe...I hope. I mean, he likes kids, right? He'd be a grandfather!"

"To a bastard grandchild," Amelia muttered.

"Amelia!" Lina scolded, "I never thought I'd hear such things from you!"

Amelia just looked at Lina, no expression on her face at all. "But it's true, isn't it? A child without a known father from an unwed mother?"

"Well, yeah...I guess," Lina scratched her nose. "Just seems kind of harsh to label the kid like that."

"All the more reason I fear writing home, let alone return home to Saillune." Amelia sighed. "What will become of my baby?" Tears suddenly streaked down Amelia's cheeks.

"But you can't just hide out forever either," Lina sighed. "If anything, that would cause even more of an uproar, don't you think?"

Amelia nodded. "I will go back. I have to go back. Just...not yet. I need time to sort this out...to figure out how to explain this to Daddy."

Lina scowled. Come to think of it, they were no closer to discovering how they'd come to be in their present predicament. That would have to be remedied. "We will get to the bottom of this, trust me on that. Just not now," Lina suddenly groaned as she stood to waddle over to her own bed. "This little parasite is killing my back!" Lina plopped down on her bed, quick to stretch out flat on her back. "First, gotta get these things out. Then we figure out where they came from. Oooooh," she moaned.

Amelia groaned herself, realizing she'd be cooking by herself tonight. Focusing on not cutting herself while chopping carrots wouldn't be all bad. It would be a much needed distraction from whatever the future might hold for her and her unborn child.

_To be continued..._

Next time: Amelia wrung her hands, feeling too worried to do anything but stare at the door she had last seen Gourry and Lina disappear behind. Lina would be okay... Lina _had_ to be okay. Her screams of agony couldn't be too awful...

_Author's notes: At last, confrontations happen, and some of the air is cleared! Sort of. From the start of writing this, I was struck by how different Lina and Amelia's pregnancies would be. Lina getting pregnant would certainly be a damper on her wanderlust, and no doubt her family would eventually hear of it, but it wouldn't have the ramifications that Amelia's, being royalty, would. I had to address it eventually._

_So, this is one reason why the group is holed up in one place for so long. Aside from it being unwise to travel with two pregnant and powerless women, if word got out a Saillune royal was expecting...things could go bad really fast. Poor Amelia. Still, that's no excuse not to write home!_

_Also, Gourry deserves a huge hug for being such a great guy. Seriously._


	13. Something about Intrusions

Chapter Thirteen: Something about Intrusions

Amelia stared at the large pot of uneaten food, still in shock. It hadn't been long after their conversation that Lina suddenly doubled over in pain. It didn't seem to last long, and Lina soon passed it off as gas, but then it came back. Amelia did what she could to aid Lina, but when Gourry came home, he had panicked and scooped Lina up in his arms, making a mad dash out the door.

That had been hours ago.

Amelia was beside herself with worry. She couldn't very well follow after Gourry, not having much more stamina than Lina herself. It was best for her to stay and keep an eye on the house. Someone would need to dust. And clean. And keep the forgotten soup from burning...

Amelia wrung her hands, feeling too worried to do anything but stare at the door she had last seen Gourry and Lina disappear behind. Lina would be okay... Lina _had_ to be okay. Her screams of agony couldn't be too awful... Amelia frowned. Hearing such a strangled scream from Lina had awakened old memories long since buried, which was perhaps why Amelia found herself worrying all the more, despite how she tried to reassure herself.

Finally, in a last attempt to soother her nerves, Amelia pulled out parchment and began to write...

_Day one: I have lost track of how many hours have passed since Miss Lina and Mister Gourry left. I suppose it would be more accurate to say Mister Gourry left, since he carried Miss Lina off with him. I can only imagine he took Miss Lina to the local healer. She will be in good hands._

_In the meantime, night has fallen, but sleep is not quick to come._

_Day two: I didn't sleep last night. I kept hoping Miss Lina and Mister Gourry would return, so any little sound had me instantly on alert. There is still no sign of either one of them._

_I can't sleep. It seems every time I try, I hear something. And not something out on the path, or even at the door, but out beyond the yard. I am not usually one to spook easily at the unknown, but there's very little I can do to defend myself at this point, and I know it._

_Day three: Daylight, at long last. I was able to sleep when the sun came up, if only for a short while. It is still quiet, thank goodness. Whatever was making all the noise last night seems to have gone. I would go out to look, but I am secretly afraid. Miss Lina, Mister Gourry, please come back..._

Amelia was sleeping soundly over her writing, the lack of sleep having caught up with her. A bit of drool pooled on the parchment, causing some of the ink to run. Amelia might have cared, but she was too busy being exhausted. It wasn't until someone stepped onto the porch outside that she bolted upright.

Her brain still fuzzy from sleep, Amelia could only stare dumbly at the door as it slowly swung open, and Gourry stepped through the door. He stepped slowly, as he carried Lina in his arms. Lina seemed in a catatonic state herself, quietly clutching a bundle to her chest.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Amelia finally exclaimed. She made to get up, but her tired body rebelled, so instead she remained seated at the table.

Gourry turned his attention to Amelia. He seemed more sober than usual as he looked at her, as if a great burden had been placed upon him. Amelia could tell he had been crying, as his eyes were red. He gave her a slight nod, but continued to walk slowly into the house, before easing Lina onto her bed. Gourry then pulled up a chair to sit next to Lina, as he gently stroked her hair.

Taking a cue from Gourry's subdued manner, Amelia quietly got up from her seat and walked over. "Is Miss Lina going to be okay?"

Gourry didn't turn to face her. "The doctor thought so, but I'm not sure. It took a lot out of her." Gourry indicated toward the small bundle Lina still held. "She...she nearly..." Gourry cut himself off, a wave of fresh tears stinging his eyes.

Amelia placed a hand on Gourry's shoulder. "I wish I could have done more to help."

"Sorry I left you here alone," Gourry sighed, "I was just too worried to leave her! She needed me."

"I'm not going anywhere," Lina suddenly groaned, opening an eye. "Stop talking like I can't hear you, Gourry." Lina seemed to be scolding, but she gave Gourry a smile. At the sound of her voice, the bundle seemed to come to life, pathetic wail coming from it.

"He's awake." Gourry broke out into a huge smile.

"He?" Amelia asked, peering to get a closer look.

Lina groaned, but attempted to sit up. "I'd say don't have one of these because they're really painful, but you don't have any choice. This kid's lucky he's adorable, or I'd have been happy to leave him behind." Lina lifted up the bundle and opened the blanket, revealing an unhappy little face.

"Aw, Lina," Gourry frowned, "that's not what you said when you first saw him. You didn't even let me hold him!"

"Hey, who had to carry the little parasite this whole time? It was nice to finally see the little guy." Lina smiled as she looked at her little baby boy. He had a small curl of light brown hair on his forehead, but what won her over were his deep blue eyes. Just looking at him, it was obvious to see his looks didn't come from her side of the family. She cradled him gently.

"He's beautiful," Amelia cooed, unable to resist the cute baby herself. "Do you have a name picked out yet?"

"Ah-" Lina cut herself off, looking like her entire train of thought had been derailed. She looked down at her little baby boy, who seemed to be squinting an eye back up at her. "I guess Little Parasite isn't a very good name." Lina chewed on her lip in thought.

"Leon," Gourry offered, giving Lina a smile.

Lina quirked a brow. "Leon? Where'd that come from?"

Gourry leaned in, brushing the baby's cheek with his finger. Before long, Gourry found his finger in the baby's death grip, which only caused Gourry to smile wider. "You forgot him already? We used to do mercenary work together." Gourry continued to interact with the baby boy.

"Wait a second..." Lina narrowed her eyes at Gourry. "That guy that kept thinking we were together? _Him?_"

Gourry shrugged. "I dunno, I don't remember that. It's a good name though."

"Not sure I want my kid named after some punk mercenary," Lina fumed. "What about something like Garret?"

"Who do you know named Garret?" Amelia asked. She couldn't help but giggle seeing the faces Gourry made as the baby twisted his finger around, but she was curious where all these names were coming from.

Lina shook her head. "No one. I just like how it sounds." She leveled a stare at Gourry. "Unlike some people, I don't only remember names from old war buddies."

Gourry just shrugged again, more content to make faces at the baby.

"What about Zane?" Amelia offered.

Lina groaned in response. "Why is it so hard to choose a name for a kid? No wonder my parents barely deviated from Luna's name when I came along. I always thought they were being unoriginal." She looked back down at her baby boy. "What are we going to call you?"

The baby just looked up at Lina and started to wail an all too familiar wail.

"Uh oh, sounds like he's hungry." Gourry fought to regain his finger, before the baby sucked it off his hand. He was amazed at the sheer strength this new life contained, as it took Gourry a while to reclaim his finger. Then again, he was being as gentle as possible, not wanting to hurt the baby.

Lina suddenly looked very uncomfortable. "Not again," she moaned, but then elbowed Gourry in the side. "Clear out, Gourry. Bad enough he's getting a free show. I really don't like doing this."

Gourry jumped back at being elbowed, but blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Amelia came up from behind Gourry, tugging gently on his arm. "She wants some private time, Mister Gourry." Amelia spoke quietly, blushing slightly. "Come on, I had to eat leftovers all by myself. You should have some." She continued to tug gently on his arm, until Gourry followed her away from Lina's bed.

With a sigh, Lina crawled under her blanket, not wanting to take any chances. "You are the luckiest guy in the world, you little freeloader. Now how the heck am I supposed to do this?" Lina groaned again. Why was she being tortured like this?

_To be continued..._

Next time: Amelia nodded. "Don't worry, I'll let you know the moment I notice anything."

_Author's notes: Okay, true story. I've been so slow at getting this written, that my older sister got pregnant this past year, then about a week ago, her little bundle of joy came into the world early. So, real life birth delayed my posting up Lina's! (And, it offered me even more possible fodder to use in this strange story.)_

_Oh yeah, and as of yesterday, I have re-entered the work force, so no longer will I be seeking and applying to jobs like mad, so hopefully I can return my focus to getting this done. I really expect the story to pick up soon, so be prepared!_

_Also, for those who have no idea who Leon is, as shown in the manga by Rui Araizumi, Leon is a fellow mercenary that worked alongside Gourry in the days before Gourry met Lina. Gourry actually remembered him when they encounter him, which says a lot to me. He also thought pretty highly of the guy, so I'd not put it past Gourry to name his kids after people he knew._


	14. Something about Companions

Chapter 14: Something about Companions

Lina was bedridden for the next few days while she recovered, but for once she wasn't too upset about it. Being able to finally rest without pain caused by the little parasite...er, _Leon, _was wonderful, and despite how often he fussed about being hungry, she couldn't help but smile. "He's going to fit in perfectly."

Amelia looked up from tidying. "What was that, Miss Lina?"

Lina chuckled. "Oh, I'm just imagining when this little guy is old enough to hold his own at the dinner table. I might be creating a monster!" She cooed at little Leon, who gave her the biggest grin. "I can't get over how cute you are!"

Amelia smiled. Despite her want to put off a tough exterior to the outside world, Amelia was glad to see Lina softening for the baby. There might be hope for the sorceress yet.

Amelia coughed as she decided to venture down a different mental path. "How are you feeling now, Miss Lina?"

Lina never broke her gaze with little Leon. "Tired, achy, possibly a bit on the cranky side, but otherwise better. It's hard feeling down with this cheery little guy here!" Having said as such, Lina rubbed noses with Leon, eliciting another huge smile.

He was certainly that. Amelia had noticed a dramatic change after little Leon came home. Where there had been tension and more angst than she cared for, now there was a much more joyous atmosphere about the place. She'd not have thought it possible to have more joy in the place, but every evening when Gourry came home, she felt overwhelmed by it! Gourry, like Lina, was smitten with the new little life. To say he took to fatherhood would have been an understatement. Lina had certainly gotten perhaps more than she deserved in Gourry, but Amelia was glad for it.

"How about you?"

Amelia was startled from her thoughts. "I beg your pardon?" She looked over to Lina, who for once had her gaze turned from her baby to stare directly at Amelia.

Lina tsked. "I said, how are you feeling? Any idea when it'll come?"

Amelia shook her head. "No, I feel normal. Well, as normal as can be expected, I guess. Don't worry about me, Miss Lina." Amelia offered a smile.

Lina eyed Amelia's smile for a moment, trying to see if there was anything hidden there. "Okay, just making sure. This little guy certainly came before I was ready. I'd rather not see the same thing happen to you."

Amelia nodded. "Don't worry, I'll let you know the moment I notice anything." She lay her hand over her stomach, feeling for the little life she knew was within. As it had been from the start, Amelia felt nothing out of the norm. She only wished she knew if that was perfectly normal, but without any reason to suspect her quiet baby, Amelia just went along with it.

* * *

It took some time, but eventually Lina was recovered enough to leave her bed behind. She then made up for lost time by regaining her previous stamina, namely by bustling about the kitchen. That is, when little Leon allowed for it. It seemed with each new day his appetite grew, as such that Lina was left feeling exhausted trying to keep up with the kid.

After talking it over with Gourry, the two had decided to take little Leon back to the local healer, just to make sure he was doing alright. Lina didn't want to leave Amelia by herself, but Amelia was to the point where she wasn't moving about much herself. Amelia assured them she would be fine for the few hours they would be gone, which appeased Lina enough that she and Gourry, with little Leon in tow, left at first light.

Amelia watched the small family disappear down the path from the doorway. She grimaced, despite herself. She wanted to eat breakfast, but her stomach seemed upset this morning. It would ache terribly, then die off for a time. Amelia wasn't quite sure what to think of it, but she dared not eat anything in case it was another bout of the horrible sickness she'd gone through months ago.

"Water," she thought, "I ought to drink some water at least." Amelia stepped toward the pail they kept water in for cooking, but frowned when she realized it was empty. Amelia sighed, but resigned herself to pick up the pail to get more water from the nearby stream. At least fresh water was close at hand.

The early morning greeted her with the usual birdsong, and a slight breeze both chilled and invigorated her. Amelia smiled. Despite her upbringing, she just found it invigorating being out in the natural world. She walked quietly to the stream, taking in the new day. Once she reached the stream, she knelt down to dip the pail in the water.

The pail never made it.

Amelia suddenly doubled over, feeling extreme pain. Unable to stop herself, she collided with the soft earth below, the pail falling uselessly to the ground nearby. At that moment, all she could hear was her heart beating in her ears, and the sound of her ragged breathing. As she tried to make sense of what had just happened, she was again overwhelmed with intense pain. She gripped the earth with her fingers, her fingernails digging into the dirt as she let out a cry of pain.

Amelia tried to keep calm, panic quickly taking over her senses. She had to get up, she had to get back to the house! She needed...she needed help that wouldn't be there! The panic finally won out, the world spinning about her as Amelia gave in to the intense pain. Time crawled to a stop, the only constant being her racing heart, and the pain that refused to go away.

Amelia tried to calm herself once more, tried to focus on the house she needed to get back to, but all she could see was an ocean of green before her. Even that was being lost to the blackness invading her vision, threatening to take over.

She wasn't aware of it, but her cries of pain had not stopped. She writhed in agony.

"Calm down, you need to calm down. Slow your breathing."

Amelia focused on the voice, doing what she could to obey. Her heart gradually calmed, even though the pain would not. She felt something grip her hand, Amelia responding in kind. Still unable to tell what was going on around her, Amelia did what she could to make the pain stop. With one last sharp stab, the pain finally released her from its grip.

Bleary eyed, Amelia became aware once more of the green ocean around her, before her head fell back to the earth. What happened after only came to her in snatches, but eventually she felt the stiff ground leave as she settled down onto something soft. Something small was tucked under her arms.

"Alexia..."

It was almost a blessing when Amelia felt herself falling into unconsciousness.

* * *

Zelgadis looked down at his sleeping companion, still in shock. The object of his shock stared silently back at him, already unnerving in itself, but even more with a look he had seen countless times from his own reflection. He continued to stare down at the baby.

He needed answers.

Pacing about a moment longer, Zelgadis returned to Amelia's side, brushing her hair gently from her face. The baby continued to stare silently. Zelgadis couldn't help but smirk in response.

"Take care of her, Alexia."

With that, he was gone.

_To be continued..._

Next time: Gourry paused. "Something isn't right,"

_Author's notes: This part, and this part alone has vexed me for a long time. For the longest time I wasn't sure how to write Amelia giving birth since I wanted Zelgadis to be there, but I didn't want her to remember him being there since, among other things, she could get him to stay. And yes, I think we'd all want him to stay, but he's not yet finished the role I'm having him play, which will come to light later._

_And now, fun with names. I've planned on Amelia giving birth to a little girl for a while now, but I was having a heck of a time with choosing a name. "Alexia" came to me the other day, and I really like the sound of it. Plus, it means "defender," which adds to what Zelgadis said before he left. As to why Zelgadis had a name for the baby? It wasn't my original intent, but when it came time to write his departure, it just seemed right for Zelgadis to name her._

_Also, back to the start of the chapter, I've always suspected Lina would be a good mother. Maybe given her penchant for cute animals and the like, it just seemed right she would likewise dote on kids. Lets be thankful little Leon has a sweet disposition, however, as it may help him live to adulthood!_


	15. Something about Reality

Chapter 15: Something about Reality

Lina hated to admit it, but she had enjoyed her outing away from the house. Being able to walk through the city streets, sampling good food, Gourry by her side...it felt like old times. Little Leon, for his part, seemed really taken by the sights and sounds as well. She was grateful that he was still too little to truly appreciate or want all of the tasty treats she had eaten that day.

Lina rubbed at her eyebrow. She was _really_ supposed to be shopping for milk for little Leon. The healer saw that the little guy was healthy, but Lina wouldn't be able to keep up with his appetite. She had suggested getting cow or even goat milk to supplement the hungry kid. Really, she had suggested buying a milk cow, but Lina wasn't quite ready to be _that _settled!

In the end, what had started out as a simple shopping trip turned into an all day affair. It wasn't until Lina noticed just how high in the sky the sun was that she realized how long they had been out and about. With a sigh, she had motioned for Gourry to head back to their humble little abode.

Hopefully Amelia would be in a forgiving mood.

As they neared the small house, Gourry paused. "Something isn't right," he whispered.

Lina perked up, taking in their surroundings. Now that he mentioned it, the whole area surrounding the house looked like it had been witness to a tussle. "Not good," Lina muttered, clutching Leon closer to her.

Without another word, the two took off toward the house, little Leon along for the ride. Lina did her best not to jostle him, but she was scared by what might or might not be waiting for them at the house. Her nostrils flared as they got closer.

"Blood," Gourry stated, as if in reply to Lina's unasked question. Gourry also noted the entrance to the house looked like it had taken a beating. He wasn't quite sure what had happened, but he decided to forgo the mystery and opened the front door.

The two breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Amelia's still form lying on her bed, as if asleep. Fear gripped Lina's heart for a moment, dreading if Amelia wasn't asleep at all, but she stepped into the house and toward the prone girl.

The sight that greeted her nearly knocked Lina off her feet.

Amelia truly was asleep, her chest rising and falling peacefully. But, nestled in her arms, and staring silently back at the trio was a little life that had not been there before. Something about the baby girl's penetrating gaze stirred a memory in Lina, but she was unable to place it.

"What happened?" Lina shrieked, before catching herself. "Amelia!" Lina shook Amelia's shoulder gently, but got no response. Amelia slept on. "Not good," Lina leaned in closer for inspection.

"What's wrong with her, Lina?" Gourry asked. "Why isn't she waking up?"

Lina closed her eyes a moment, grasping for clues. Ah ha. "This isn't a natural sleep," Lina replied, furrowing her brow. She thought silently for a moment. If it was simply a Sleep spell Amelia was under, Lina could handle that easily enough. Well, she hoped. It had been a long time since she had been able to use magic.

"Here, Gourry," Lina held out little Leon to Gourry. Gourry took the little boy without a word. Lina knelt down next to the bed, concentrating. She could feel magical energies she'd not felt in a long time once again channel through her, she just needed to give them a focus: "Flow Break."

The display wasn't impressive to Gourry, but he watched in silence anyway, little Leon chewing happily at his finger.

"Amelia?" Lina asked again, gently shaking her shoulder. "Amelia, wake up." Lina felt relief as Amelia's eyes fluttered open. Lina smiled, happy it had worked, but also happy that she could use magic again!

Amelia's bleary eyes finally focused on Lina and Gourry, who she blinked at in confusion. "Miss Lina? Mister Gourry? I thought you were going to visit the healer?" Amelia felt confused.

"Don't worry about that, it was fine," Lina replied, before indicating to the silent baby still in Amelia's arms. "The question is, what happened here? Why didn't you say anything about having a _baby_?"

Amelia's breath caught in her throat, halting whatever response she might have had. She shifted her gaze down, and sure enough, there in her arms lay a little baby girl. Amelia studied her a moment. The blue eyes weren't unusual, but the baby had very light hair, nowhere near the blackness Amelia's family all shared. When the baby turned her gaze to her mother, Amelia gasped. That face! She knew that face!

When Amelia didn't respond, Lina continued, "I take it you're just as confused as we are?"

"I..." Amelia hesitated. "I don't understand." She continued to look at her little girl, who quietly stared back. There was something about experiencing pain...something about a figure being there, and then... "Alexia," She muttered, as if in a dream.

"Wha," Lina replied, "What's that, Amelia?"

Amelia continued to look at the baby girl. "Her name...I think. Alexia. I don't know why, but it seems right to me."

Lina shared a look with Gourry, still unsure what to think of the situation. Gourry only offered up a shrug, at a complete loss himself.

Amelia continued to have a staring contest with her baby. Alexia, for her part, finally frowned, her face turning red as she gave out a pathetic whimper. "Oh, oh no, what's wrong?" Amelia felt completely at a loss.

"She's hungry," Gourry replied. "When did you feed her last?"

"Uh?" Amelia couldn't even form a coherent sentence. "Feed her? How do I... I don't think I have." She turned to Lina, her expression screaming, "Help!"

"Oh, for the love of.." Lina groaned. "Hang on, Gourry, girl talk time! Mind taking Leon out for a walk or something?" Without letting Gourry respond, Lina quickly steered him back out the door. Gourry uttered confusion, but quickly obliged her.

Lina clapped her hands together, as if to clean off any dirt. "Okay, now that the boys are out of the way... Are you serious, Amelia? Didn't your mother ever teach you anything about having kids?"

Amelia frowned, turning her attention away from Lina. "She never got the chance."

Lina felt the temperature drop five degrees. She bit her tongue. "Ah, geez, sorry. So you really have no idea?" Receiving a nod, Lina continued, "Well, you have to know your chest isn't just decoration."

Amelia whipped her head around. "Miss Lina, of course it isn't!"

Lina held her hands up to shield herself. "At ease, at ease, it was a joke! A bad one. Well..."

While Lina taught Amelia the finer points of childrearing, Gourry delighted in showing Leon the natural world. He was too little yet to do much more than smile at an offered leaf, or various other bits of the outside world, but Gourry didn't care. He was going to do all he could to raise Leon up right, starting with the basics.

"See this? This is an acorn, just a tiny little nut. But! Any skilled fighter can use this as a deadly weapon. Got that, Leon?" Gourry held said acorn up to Leon.

Leon smiled.

* * *

It took some time, but Amelia gradually figured out how to care for her baby. Little Alexia, while still silent, gradually warmed to her mother. She gave Amelia a look Amelia finally recognized as fondness back when she had traveled with Zelgadis, what felt ages ago. Whether having her baby resemble Zelgadis was the cause or not, Amelia couldn't help but feel this new little life was precious, something she would protect with her life.

Lina wasn't quite so keen on the whole thing.

"Don't you think she's kind of weird?" Lina asked, watching Amelia and Alexia from her bedside. "She doesn't cry normally, she doesn't utter any sound for that matter, and all she does is _stare_. It's unnerving!" Lina made a face at Alexia, anything to get the baby girl to stop staring at her, but to no avail.

"She must find you interesting, Miss Lina," Amelia replied. She cradled Alexia, gently rocking her back and forth. Alexia looked up to her mother, giving her that rare look of adoration she had so treasured when Zelgadis had shown it. It almost broke her heart. "I wish Mister Zelgadis were here to see her."

Lina growled. "Don't get me started on that guy! If I ever see him again, it'll be too soon! What kind of man abandons his friends like that?" Lina bit her tongue, as her sudden angry outburst upset little Leon, who started to cry. "Aw, it's okay, Leon, I wasn't talking about you." Lina attempted to pacify him.

Gourry sat silently at the table, his hands going about bending his fork too far as his thoughts raced. Now wasn't the time. He glanced to the front window, not expecting to see anything outside, but seeking for some form of a distraction anyway. He continued to listen silently to Lina and Amelia's chatter.

Finally, when the two had fallen silent, he turned to face them. "Say, Lina?" Gourry tossed his question out, hoping Lina would pick it up.

"Say what, Gourry?" Lina replied, turning her attention to focus on the nervous swordsman.

"Ah," Gourry answered smartly. He quickly swallowed his nervousness and tried again. "I was just wondering, when did you want to head back?"

"Head back?" Amelia asked, concerned. Were they going to leave her? "Head back, _where_?"

Lina sighed. "I didn't want to say anything yet, but now that these two are out, we need to get you back home."

Amelia looked fearfully at Lina, but nodded silently.

"Prince Phil must be worried sick about you," Lina continued. "Much as I'd prefer not to see him, I'd rather get you home safely and stay on good terms than to have him hunt you down." Lina shrugged slightly, her arms caught up in holding Leon. "Plus..." she stalled.

Now it was Amelia's turn to sigh. "You're tired of hiding out here, aren't you?"

"You better believe I am! Do you realize how long we've been holed up in one place?" Lina's raised voice again set off Leon, causing Lina to focus on quieting him once more. "Besides," Lina said over her shoulder, "I wrote to Prince Phil myself. He'll know you're coming."

Amelia gasped. "You did? When? What did you tell him?" She looked down at Alexia, who silently looked back. How was she going to explain _this_?

"I had Gourry send it out a ways back." Upon Amelia's look of confusion, Lina added, "It was easy to do, since you practically passed out for hours on end. We talked about it, figured your father ought to know. Of course, I still don't really understand the situation, so I was pretty vague."

"But, he knows?" Amelia gulped.

Lina nodded. "I didn't want to intrude in your own business, but you seemed to be having trouble getting anything out. I figured I ought to help out."

Amelia dropped her head down. "Thank you, Miss Lina." She didn't sound sincere.

Gourry placed his bent fork on the table without turning his attention from the two girls. "Aw, cheer up, Amelia, it can't be so bad."

Lina nodded. "Gourry's right! Besides, the longer you stay away, the more worried he must have gotten without any form of contact."

Amelia was silent a moment. "When do we leave?"

"In a few more days," Gourry replied. "I'm still working on a wagon over at work, and I need a few more days' wages before I can get a horse to pull it."

Lina gave Gourry a smile, but said nothing. He smiled back.

Amelia sighed. A few more days, then she would have to finally face reality. Little Alexia continued to watch her mother, finally thrashing an arm about until she got a death grip on Amelia's wrist. Amelia couldn't help but smile at this. No doubt her father would be upset, but hopefully having a new life around would return a lot of lost joy to the palace.

Amelia could only hope.

_To be continued..._

Next time: "You idiot!"

_Author's notes: Where did the time go? Seems I got too busy/distracted with my new job (hurray) and other projects, that I completely neglected this story! That said, I actually wrote this chapter up in May, but then got too busy to even proof it. Argh. Sorry about the major delay!_

_Anyway, I had some more conflicts writing this chapter, but perhaps not for the obvious reasons. The series has briefly explored and shown what life was like for Amelia growing up, but at the same time does nothing to really show the impact not having a mother has had on her. (Then again, seeing how taken she is with her father, maybe it has.) I actually did a bit of basic research on how motherhood impacts motherless women to write this. I suspect that when the time does come for Amelia, she will be an amazing mother, but there will be some rough times where she has to learn for herself how to be a mother, since she doesn't have her mother around to aid her._

_It's all rather sad... On the other hand, Gourry has got to be one of the best fathers out there. I love writing his interactions with little Leon!_


	16. Something about Reunions

Chapter 16: Something about Reunions

The days seemed to fly by, and before she knew it, Amelia was standing before the horse and cart that Gourry had brought from town. Her heart was racing, Amelia feeling rooted in place. Lina walk up from behind, resting an arm on Amelia's shoulder.

"It'll be alright, Amelia." Lina spoke quietly.

Amelia continued to stare at the cart that would lead to her demise. Despite everything she had encountered in her travels, having to face her father seemed the most frightening of them all. She took a deep breath, finally nodding in response to Lina. Then, clutching Alexia to her chest, Amelia stepped up to the side of the cart, where Gourry waited to help her up.

Once in the cart, Amelia quickly settled down among all of the various odds and ends the trio had accumulated during their stay in the house. At the moment, Amelia felt much better letting herself stay as out of sight as possible. She hunkered down in the blankets, making sure to keep a spot cleared in case she needed to set Alexia down.

"Right then," Lina nodded at Gourry, who hoisted her up onto the seat on the front of the cart. While there was more than enough room for her in the back of the cart with Amelia, Lina and Gourry had both decided that Lina would be better off assisting Gourry as he drove the cart. That the two got to spend some time together, little Leon along for the ride, made it more appealing. "Almost like old times," Lina smiled at Gourry.

Gourry returned the smile, taking a moment to rub Leon's head, messing up his ever growing hair. "Been a while, hasn't it?" He shot a quick glance back at the small house, wondering if his note would even be seen.

Lina noticed Gourry's silence, looking to see what had his attention. She leaned against him, regaining his attention. "You're going to miss it, aren't you?"

Gourry looked at Lina for a moment, finally nodding his head. "It wasn't perfect, but it was a good home. The next one will be better," Gourry seemed to sigh wistfully, as he finally slapped his horse's reins to prod the horse to start walking.

Lina felt her cheeks flush, but she said nothing. Much as she was eager to travel again, she was sad to be leaving the house behind, if only a little. She looked down to her cooing baby boy. "Guess we can't expect you to be dragged all around the world, can we?"

Leon just cooed in response.

Lina and Gourry kept up a comfortable banter, but Amelia quickly tuned them out. She continued to watch the house as more distance was put between them and what had been her home for the greater part of a year. It never could compare to life in the temple, or even the palace, yet it had been the greatest "home" feeling Amelia had felt in a long time, and she was having trouble accepting that she might never know that feeling again.

Amelia was ready to be lost to her thoughts, if not for the little hand that was suddenly resting against her cheek. Amelia looked down at Alexia, the baby girl wide awake and looking up at her mother with those adoring eyes. Amelia was overcome with a flood of emotion. She didn't know what would happen to her once she returned to Saillune, but at the moment that didn't matter. She gently hugged Alexia.

They had been on the road for a few days when it happened. Amelia was still riding in the back of the cart, but she was finally sitting up, where she could see the passing world. Lina sometimes road in the cart with her, but more often than not, she continued to ride alongside Gourry at the front. Such was the situation now, Lina and Gourry talking quietly to each other, Amelia quietly taking in the sights and sounds.

"...lia...op!"

Amelia perked up. She didn't see anyone in sight, but she knew she had heard someone. She looked around, trying to see movement of any kind, any way to locate the voice she had heard.

Gourry suddenly stopped talking, earning nothing more than, "Gourry?" from Lina before he scooped her and Leon up as he leaped from the cart. Lina had no time to process what was happening before her ears were deafened by the roar of an explosion, her eyes blinded by kicked up dirt and debris.

Lina shook her head to gather her wits, also hoping to regain her hearing and vision. Before long she was aware of Leon crying in fright. Gourry still clutched the two as he dashed to safety. When he finally set her down, Lina's legs practically buckled as she looked to where they had just been. Although a cloud of dirt and debris were still obscuring most of her view, Lina knew that the cart they had just been in was a mangled mess, and Amelia... Before Lina could scream, Gourry cupped his hand over her mouth, his eyes telling her to remain quiet.

"You idiot!" a voice roared from nearby. "You were supposed to cast a Dil Brand, not a Mega Brand!"

Lina's fear instantly gave way to rage. _Bandits_. Gourry quietly unsheathed his sword, but did not move from his spot. Not until Lina gave him the okay. Both were silent as they listened for the bandit boss to speak again, giving away his location.

"Hurry, check for survivors!" the voice roared again.

Lina gave Gourry a nod, which Gourry returned. Just as he started to step toward the voice, the ground rumbled once more, causing both Gourry and Lina to halt in their tracks. Lina strained to see past the cloud of debris, cursing the lousy sorcerer that had caused it in the first place. Shouts of surprise and pain filled the air, Lina seeing stone spikes shooting up all around them. Lina strained harder to see.

"Gourry!" A familiar voice called out. "While they're distracted!"

Gourry looked down at Lina. "Go," she replied, returning her gaze to the settling cloud of debris. She could finally make out a figure standing amidst the destroyed cart. Gourry saw it too, responding by taking off after the bandits that even now were attempting to flee.

Lina could feel her rage building even more. With the sound of Gourry's battle cry in the background, Lina angrily marched up to the destroyed cart, even raising a fist to strike out with.

The figure turned to face her. "Lina, don't," he quietly pleaded. "She's hurt."

Whatever expletives Lina had been waiting to lay into Zelgadis instantly died in her throat. as she could finally make out just what Zelgadis was holding. Although both were caked in dirt and debris, Lina could see what had to be a trail of blood coursing down from Amelia's forehead. "To the grass, Zel," Lina pointed to the side of the road. "Get her out of here," she continued, practically tugging Zelgadis out from had once been a cart.

Zelgadis did so without a word, finding a soft spot of ground to set Amelia down on. Only then did Lina finally see what had happened, as Amelia was uncurled from around little Alexia, who unlike her mother, didn't have a scratch on her.

Lina cursed the bandits under her breath, as she tried to assess Amelia's condition. She knew from personal experience that a Mega Brand could kill a person. While the explosion could be endured, the fall often proved fatal. Amelia was still breathing, which was good. "She doesn't seem to have any broken bones," Lina muttered, shifting Leon onto her hip as she used her free hand to clean away the dirt from Amelia's known injuries.

Zelgadis gripped Amelia's hand, hoping to feel her grip in return. "She shouldn't," he replied. "I caught her before she hit the ground."

Lina stopped to study Zelgadis a moment. "How did you even get here in time, anyway? Where have you been? Why did you leave in the first place?!" Lina clenched her hands into fists again, causing Leon to cry. "Rrgh, Leon, he needs to be chewed out!" Lina visibly calmed herself in her attempts to calm Leon.

Zelgadis watched the two for a moment, surprised by what he saw. Lina learning patience? Before he could dwell on it too much, he felt pressure on his hand. He looked back down at Amelia, whose eyes were starting to open.

"Zel...ga-"

Zelgadis gently placed a finger over Amelia's mouth. "Hush, Amelia, it's okay. You're going to be alright."

Amelia nodded, tears streaming down her face. Without a word, she pulled on Zelgadis' arm, catching Zelgadis off guard. He was trapped in a hug before he knew it, uttering confused gasps. Amelia held onto Zelgadis for all she was worth.

Zelgadis felt a wave of relief, despite being trapped in Amelia's embrace. She couldn't be too bad off. He was about to say as such until he glanced up and noticed Lina's death glare.

Before either had a chance to say anything to the other, Gourry came trotting up, wayward horse held by the reins in one hand, a piece of parchment in the other. "Hey, Lina, you better see this."

Lina broke off her death glare to face Gourry, noticing the parchment he held out to her. "Gourry, where did you get this?" She snatched it up, quickly realizing it was the letter she had sent off to Prince Phil months ago.

"Is that how they knew?" Zelgadis asked. Despite being trapped at ground level, he had also turned his attention toward Lina and Gourry...mostly. He also gently cradled Amelia and Alexia in his arms.

"Whoa, wait!" Lina waved a hand at Zelgadis. "How do you know anything about anything, Zel? Mister I'm-going-to-abandon-my-friends-to-their-fate." She leveled another glare at Zelgadis.

"Lina," Gourry cut in, but was quickly cut off.

"No, Gourry," Zelgadis shook his head, "she's right. I did abandon all of you. Mostly." He turned his focus back to Amelia, but she was still crying quietly as she held onto him. Zelgadis couldn't help but hang his head.

"Well, that's true," Gourry nodded, "but you still helped out. I know you were the one that left money for us, and you were the one that found that house for us in the first place," Gourry continued.

Lina whirled around on Gourry. "Wait, wait! Gourry! You never said anything about this!" Her tirade was cut short by Leon starting to fuss at her raised voice, Lina stopping to pacify the baby.

Gourry scratched the back of his neck. "I know, I should've, but it didn't feel right. Besides, I didn't want to upset you or Amelia." Gourry gave Lina a pleading smile.

Lina tapped her foot in anger.

Everyone was caught off guard by the hushed voice. "Didn't you want the same thing, Miss Lina?" Amelia was in a sorry state, but her gaze penetrated through Lina's defenses.

"What? I, but..." Lina scrunched her face into a frown. "It's not the same thing, Amelia!"

Amelia shook her head, "But it is, Miss Lina. This is why I never wanted to lie about what was happening to us. All it does is cause...hurt." Her grip tightened on Zelgadis' arm, which made her words bite into him all the more.

Lina looked like she wanted to say something more, but Zelgadis cut her off. "Not to interrupt this conversation, or even to downplay Amelia's point, but we really ought to leave before we attract even more unwanted attention." Zelgadis frowned at Lina, glancing from her to the letter she'd crinkled in her rage, before looking at her again. "We need to get Amelia somewhere safer. She may be talking, and even reminding us of our follies, but she's still injured."

Amelia looked indignant. "Mister Zelgadis, I-ooh," whatever tirade she would have laid into him was silenced by her shock starting to wear off, and with it came the pain. She released her grip on Zelgadis to cradle her forehead, finally closing her eyes as if in defeat.

Zelgadis' eyes widened in fear, but he regained his composure and instead turned and started to continue down the road, causing Lina and Gourry to stumble after him.

"H-hey, slow down, Zelgadis!" Lina exclaimed. "Some of us aren't yet able to keep your pace!"

"Then you can catch up to me later. I need to get Amelia back to civilization as soon as possible," Zelgadis' pace never faltered as he continued walking.

"Rrgh!" Lina's grip on little Leon tightened. "Mister knight-in-not-so-shining-armor has a stick up his b-hey!" Lina suddenly found herself being lifted up into the air, before coming to rest on Gourry's horse's back. Lina blinked down at Gourry. "Uh, is this a good idea?"

"He survived through all that," Gourry patted the horse's muzzle, "I think a peaceful walk is just what he needs, and he can walk faster than you, so yeah, I do. Don't worry, I'll lead him."

Lina nodded dumbly, wrapping her legs as tightly as she could around the horse's girth, one hand keeping a death grip on the horse's mane, her other holding fast to Leon. As they started off after Zelgadis, Lina couldn't help but smile at Gourry's back. Maybe knights in shining armor weren't so bad.

_Author's notes: Hey, remember when I used to write this story? (Neither do I!) To be completely honest, I had most of this written well over a year ago, but I hit a bit of a block with it. Just with everything that has gone on, as soon as I had Lina and Zelgadis reencountering each other, she was out for blood, and it bogged the story down! Yelling back and forth at each other with one party member injured, and the other off dispatching baddies, then trying to drop a lot of exposition just didn't work. So, the story sat for a loooooong time. Oh, and initially Amelia was going to be worse off (completely deaf from being in the explosion), but she proved to be the solution to my problems, so hurray, she may only have a concussion at worst!_

_Anyway, massive apologies to those who have been waiting forever and a day for this. It is for you all that I didn't cut this chapter in half, but instead let Zelgadis make an appearance for much longer, at long last! I will be honest though, I have nothing written up beyond this point, and it's been a long time since I even thought of this story, so I don't know how soon there will be more. I do know there needs to be more, as if nothing else, Zelgadis needs to be allowed to explain his side of the story, and Amelia needs to be part of that conversation. I owe them that at least!_


End file.
